The Marauders and the Order of the Phoenix
by HattersGirlAlice
Summary: James, Remus, and Ratboy... er... Peter are at Sirius' new flat when they find a mysterious book hidden under a floorboard. They begin to read it and find out that this is their future. Rated PG13 just in case for later chapters.
1. Cleaning and Discovering

Dis: I do not own The Marauders they are JKR's. ( But imagin if I did own them!)

Summery: James, Remus, and Ratboy... er... Peter are at Sirius' new flat when they find a mysterious book hidden under a floorboard. They begin to read it and find out that this is their future.

The Marauders and "The Order of the Phoenix"

Chapter One: Cleaning and Discovering

Sirius Black looked around his new home grinning. He was finally out on his own! Out of his parents house and free! This was going to be great! The seventeen year old wizard was extatic. His bright blue eyes shown brightly from underneath locks of his long black hair. He needed to get it cut soon. He had a handsom face and a tall lean body. (Sexy eh?)

The place was fully furnished so he didn't have to get his bed and the Potters' (His best friends parents whom he had been living with prior to his new home) had all his Hogwarts things.

At the moment he was dusting out the kitchen cabbinents but had stopped to admire the work he had done so far. The only things left to do was finish the kitchen and fix a loose floorboard he had found in an upstairs bedroom.

Suddenly there was a woosh from the den announcing the arrival of a fellow wizard by the floo network. (Travel by fireplace)

"Who could that be?" Sirius asked aloud going into the den to find out.

Before he could reach the den two loud pops were heard.

"And now two apperators!" Sirius grinned again. "Must be..."

"Padfoot old boy! Suprise!" said a young man around Sirius' age. He has messy black hair and glasses that covered his brown eyes. He too was tall but not as tall as the man beside him.

The second man was just inches taller. He has light brown hair that curled lightly around his ears and had soft blue gray eyes.

The third man was standing by the fireplace. He was short and had mousey hair and watery blue eyes. He was shorter than the others and quite plump!

"Guys! What a suprise!" Sirius shouted. "James!" he said hugging the man with the messy black hair.

"Remus, Peter and I thought you would like some company on your first night out alone."

"And Remus was worried about you." squeeked the shout mousey haired man.

"Quiet Peter!" Remus hissed. "I wasn't worried about Sirius I was worried about his new neighbors." he finished dignantly.

"Yep that's what he said!" James chirped.

"Moony, Moony, Moony! Would I ever harm my neighbors?" Sirius asked innosently.

"YES!" said all three friends.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Oh well! You can help me with the floorboard upstairs. _Scourgify_!" he called pointing his wand into the kitchen. "Follow me."

James Remus and Peter followed Sirius upstairs.

"You cleaned all this?" James asked.

"Yes Prongs I did." Sirius said using his friends nickname.

"Well I'm impressed." Remus said.

Sirius lead them into a room to their left. "It's right here under the bed."

"Do you think someone left a time capsule under the floorboard?" asked Peter timidly.

Sirius stared at him. "Didn't pass your Apperation test again?" he asked insted of asking the question he wanted to ask: "Are you stupid?"

"No." said Peter indignantly. "I keep getting off by a mile or two."

"Sorry." Sirius said kneeling down by the loose floorboard.

"Wait Padfoot!" said James. "Wormtail has a good idea. It couldn't hurt to look could it?"

"Whatever." Sirius shurgged.

James knelt down and helped Sirius wrench up the floorboard.

"Wow there really is something down here!" James said. He reached down into the hallow space in the floor and pulled out a tin box. He carefully opened it. "It's a... book." he finished dully passing it to Remus.

Remus took the book and examined it. "It looks new." (A/N: The Book is hardcover and coverless.) "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" he read aloud looking at the title on the binding of the book. "A relaiton of your's Prongs? He knows about the Order."

James shook his head. "I've never heard of him."

"I should think not!" said Remus suddenly. "This book is copyright 2003!"

"So it's from the future!" cried Sirius.

"Let's read it." said Peter.

"I don't know. If we read this and it is our future everything might change and..."

Sirius cut Remus off. "Moony!" he wined. "It's just a book. Maybe it's about one of our great adventures with Prong's kid."

"Sirius be reasonable. Harry Potter may be no relation to James whatsoever!" Remus said.

"So all the better to read and find out!" said James.

"Okay fine." said Remus throwing up a hand. "I will read it." he said sitting down in a chair in the corner of the room near the window.

James, Sirius and Peter gathered around him and sat on the floor.

"Chapter One..."


	2. Dudley Demented

Dis: I do not own The Marauders they are JKR's. ( But imagine if I did own them!) _These _words are JKR's too. You know the ones that look like _this_.

Summery: James, Remus, and Ratboy... er... Peter are at Sirius' new flat when they find a mysterious book hidden under a floorboard. They begin to read it and find out that this is their future.

sumrandumperson: Thanks! I believe I am reading yours right now. I have a whole list of stories I'm currently reading.

Die Kikyo Die: Thank you! I have fixed the annon. (Can't spell either.) problem.

HorseyGurl1490: Thanks! Really want unique go read my "Is it sppose to be blue" fic.

Seren Lunar Echo: Thanks! Remus and Sirius are my favs. Remus is No. 1.

The Marauders and "The Order of the Phoenix"

Chapter Two: Chapter One

"..._Dudley Demented. _

"_ The hottest day of the summer so far was drawing to a close and a drowsy silence lay over the large, square houses of Privet Drive. Cars that were usually gleaming stood dusty in their drives and lawns that were once emerald green lay parched and yellowing; the use of hosepipes had been banned due to drought. Deprived of their usual car-washing and lawn-mowing pursuits, the inhabitants of Privet Drive had retreated into the shade of their cool houses, windows thrown widen in the hope of tempting in a nonexistent breeze. The only person left outdoors was a teenage boy who was laying flat on his back in a flower bed outside number four."_

"Let me stop you there Rem." Sirius said earnestly. "You are and excelent reader. Maybe you should read more often."

James and Peter sniggered at this. Everyone knew that Remus had read the entire library twice over.

"Oh Ha Ha." Remus said before continuing. " _He was a skinny, black-haired, bespectacled boy who had the pinched, slightly unhealthy look of someone who had grown a lot on a short space of time. His jeans were torn and dirty, his T-shirt baggy and faded, and the soles of his trainers were peeling away from the uppers. Harry Potter's appearance did not endear him to the neighbors, who were the sort of people who thought scruffiness ought to be punishable by law,..._"

"Harry Potter. He really could be related to me!" James shouted. "Cool!"

"He sounds like James." said Peter.

"Yeah! Skinny, black-haired, bespectacled, and scruffy looking." said Sirius.

Remus rolled his eyes again. "_...but as he had hidden himself behind a large hydrangea bush this evening he was quite invisible to passerby. In fact, the only way he would be spotted was if his Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia stuck their heads out of the living room window and looked straight down into the flower bed below._

" _On the whole, Harry thought he was to be congratulated on his idea of hiding here. He was not, perhaps, very comfortable laying on the hot, hard earth, but on the other hand, nobody was glaring at him, grinding their teeth so loudly that he could not hear the news, or shooting nasty questions him, as has happened every time he had tried sitting down in the living room and watching television with his aunt and uncle._"

"Why would a kid his age want to watch the news?" Sirius asked.

"It says he's a teenager. That doesn't mean he's a kid, he could be our age." said Remus.

"Like we watch the news." said Sirius.

"Actually I do." James replied. "Go on Moony. Let's find out what my young relative is up to."

"_Almost as though this thought had fluttered through the open window, Vernon Dursley, Harry's uncle, suddenly spoke. "Glad to see the boy's stopped trying to butt in. Where is he anyway"_

"_ "I don't know," said Aunt Petunia unconcernedly. "Not in the house."_

"_Uncle Vernon grunted._

" _"**Watching the news**..." he said scathingly. "I'd like to know what he's really up to. As if a normal boy cares what's on the news----Dudley hasn't got a clue what's going in, doubt he knows who the Prime Minister is! Anyway, it's not as if there'd be anything about **his **lot on **our **news---" _

"Harry must be a Wizard. And his uncle must be a Muggle" Remus pondered.

"Rather rude wasn't he?" said Sirius. "Doesn't even call Harry by his name."

"Petunia? Isn't that Lily's sister's name?" James asked.

"Dunno." said Sirius shrugging. "I don't hang onto every little word Lily Evans says."

James had a dreamy look over his face now. "Lily Evans Potter."

"He's at it again." Remus said with a sigh.

"Quick somebody splash water on him or something!" Sirius yelled.

"Ha ha Sirius." James said. "I can wake up on my own."

"Sure you can mate." Sirius said rolling his eyes.

"Ahem!" Remus said getting their attention again. "May I?"

"Oh yeah go on Moony." said Peter.

"Thank you Wormtail. _"Vernon, **shh**!" said Aunt Petunia. "The window's open!"_

"_ "Oh --- yes ---sorry, dear..."_

" _The Dursleys fell silent. harry listened to a jingle about Fruit 'N Bran breakfast cereal while he watched Mrs. Figg,... _"

"Mrs. Figg?" James asked. "That batty old squib who use to live down the road from me?"

"Could be. Why don't we read and find out? Hmm?" Remus said slightly annoyed at being interrupted again.

"Yeah good idea Moony." said James.

" ..._a batty, cat-loving... _("Yep that's her!") _old lady from nearby Wisteria Walk, amble slowly past. She was frowning an muttering to herself. harry was very pleased that he was concealed behind the bush; Mrs. Figg had recently taken to asking him around for tea whenever she met him in the street. She had rounded the corner and vanished from view before Uncle Vernon's voice floated out the window again._

"_ "Dudders out for tea?"_

_" "At the Polkisses'." said Aunt Petunia fondly. "he's got so many little friends he's so popular..."_

_" Harry repressed a snort with difficulty. The Dursleys really were astonishingly stupid about their son, Dudley; they swallowed all his dim-witted lies about having tea with a different member of his gang every night on summer holidays. Harry knew perfectly well that Dudley had not been to tea anywhere; he and his gang spent every evening vandalizing the play park, smoking on street corners, and throwing stones at passing cars and children. Harry had seen them at it during his evening walks around Little Whinging; he had spent most of the holidays wandering the streets, scavenging newspapers from bins along the way."_

Remus paused and cleared his throughout.

Sirius took this chance to comment on Dudley. "What a stupid git! Why in the world... never...I officially don't like any of these Dursley's."

"I agree entirely with you Padfoot." James said. "What in the world this relative of mine is doing in a place like that!"

"Go on Moony tell us more." said Peter who had become very interested in the story.

" _The opening notes of the music that heralded the seven o'clock news reached Harry's ears and his stomach turned over. Perhaps tonight -- after a month of waiting -- would be the night --_

_" "Record numbers of stranded holidaymakers fill airports at the Spanish baggage-handlers' strike reaches it's second week --"_

_" "Give 'em a lifelong siesta, I would," snarled Uncle Vernon over the end of the newsreader's sentence, but no matter: Outside in the flower bed, Harry's stomach seemed to unclench. If anything had happened, it would surely have been the firs item on the news; death and distruction were more important than stranded holidaymakers..._

_" He let out a long, slow breath and stared up at the brilliant blue sky. Every day this summer had been the dame: the tension, the expectation, the temporary relief, and the mounting tension again... and always growing more insistent all the time, the question of **why** nothing had happened yet..._

_" He kept listening, just in case there was some small clue, not recognized for what it really was by Muggles -- _(So he is a wizard!)_ and unexplained disappearance, perhaps, or some strange accident... but the baggage-handlers' strike was followed by news on the drought in the Southeast ("I hope he's listening next door!" bellowed Uncle Vernon, "with his sprinklers on at three in the morning!"); then a helicopter that had almost crashed in a field in Surrey, then a famous actress's divorce from her famous husband ("as if we're interested in their sordid affairs," sniffed Aunt Petunia, who had followed the case obsessively in every magazine she could lay her boney hands on). _"

"Well she sounds awful too!" said James.

"They all are Prongs except Harry!" Sirius said cheerfully.

"Yeah... Hey where did Moony go?"

"To get a glass of water." Peter said. "He said he won't be long."

"Let's see if there are any more books in that hiding place." said Sirius crawling over to the open floor board and looking in it. " Nothing. Not even a note left by the person who sent it to us." he replied sadly. He then put the floorboard back in place and flicked his wand to secure it. "Oh Moony glad to see that you have returned." Sirius said before returning to his place on the floor.

"Glad to see you noticed." Remus said. "Shall I continue?"

Sirius nodded.

" _Harry closed his eyes again at the now blazing evening sky as the newsreader said, "And finally, Bungy the budgie has found a novel way of keeping cool this summer. Bungy, who lives at the Five Feathers in Barnsley, had learned to water-ski! Mary Dorkind went to find out more...."_

_" Harry opened his eyes again. If they had reached water-skiing budgerigars, there was nothing else worth hearing. He rolled cautiously onto this front and raised himself onto his knees and elbows, preparing to crawl out from under the window._

_" He had moved about two inches when several things happened in very quick succession._

_" A loud echoing **crack **broke the sleepy silence like a gunshot; a cat streaked out from under a parked car and flew out of sight; a shriek. a bellowed oath, and the sound of breaking china came from the Dursleys' livingroom, and as though Harry had been waiting for this signal, he jumped to his feet, at the same time pulling from the waistband of his jeans a thin wooden wand as if he were unsheathing a sword..._"

"Jumpy isn't he?" James said.

"Sounds like someone I know." said Sirius "_CoughPeterCough_"

"Hey! I don't like loud noises."

"Nor do I." Remus said softly.

"That's because you have super hearing and can hear things we can't and loud noises are super loud to you." said Sirius.

"My eye sight is also very sharp but that's only around a full moon. I don't hear and see that way all the time."

"Let's _see_ what Harry is up to eh?" James said before the same old argument broke out again.

" ..._But before he could draw himself up to full height, the top of his head collided with the Dursleys' open window, and the resultant crash made Aunt Petunia scream even louder._

" _Harry felt as if his head had been split in two; eyes streaming, he swayed, trying to focus on the street and spot the source of the noise, but he had bearly staggered upright again when two large purple _(A/N have you ever noticed how purple Vernon is?) _hands reached through the open window and closed tightly around his throat._"

"Child abuse!" shouted James. "Let go of my relative!"

"James how can you be sure he's related to you?" Remus asked.

"How many Potters are there in the wizerding world in England?"

"But he lives with Muggles."

"Er..." said James. "So maybe he's staying there for a week or two."

"Yeah and Uncle Vernon just thought Harry was a burglar." Sirius said sarcastically.

"We'll find out who his family is soon." said Remus. "If we can keep reading?"

"Yeah sure go ahead Moony." James said waving a hand.

" _"**Put - it - away**!" Uncle Vernon snarled into Harry's ear. "**Now! Before - anyone sees**!"_

" _"Get - off - me!" Harry gasped; for a few seconds they struggled, harry pulling at his uncle's sausage-like fingers with his left hand, his right hand maintaining a firm grip on his raised wand. Then as the pain in the top of Harry's head gave a particular nasty throb, Uncle Vernon yelped and released Harry as though he had received an electric shock - some invisible force seemed to have surged through his nephew, making him impossible to hold._

_" Panting, Harry fell forward over the hydrangea bush, straightened up, and stared around there was no sign of what had caused the loud cracking noise, but there were several faces peering through various nearby windows. Harry stuffed his wand hastily back into his jeans and tried to look innocent..._"

"Well he_ was_ innocent." said Sirius. "Why did he have to _look_ innocent?"

"Padfoot innocent is something that you will never understand." said Remus smirking at him.

"I understand it!" Sirius said indignantly. "I just don't have it."

Remus shook his head and continued to read.

"_ "Lovely evening!" shouted Uncle Vernon, waving at Mrs. number Seven,..._"

"Her name was Number Seven?" asked Peter.

"No twit!" said Sirius. "That was just a way of describing where she lived. The Dursleys live at Number Four and that lady lives at number seven. It's sort of like our floo network."

James and Remus stared at Sirius.

"We had no idea you were so smart Sirius." James said.

"Get on with it Moony." Sirius said ignoring James.

" ..._who glared at him from behind her net curtains. "Did you hear that car backfire just now? Gave Petunia and me Quite a turn?"_

" _he continued to grin in a horrible, manic way until all the curious neighbors had disappeared from behind their various windows, then the grin became a grimace of rage as he beckoned harry back toward him._

" _Harry moved a few steps closer, taking care to stop just short of the point at which Uncle Vernon's outstretched hands could resume their strangling._

" _"What the devil did you mean by it, boy?" asked Uncle Vernon in a croky voice that trembled with fury._

" _"What do I mean by what?" said Harry coldly. He kept looking left and right up the street, still hoping to see the person who had made the cracking Noise._

_" "Making a racket like a starting pistol right outside our --"_

_" "I didn't make that noise," said Harry firmly._

_" Aunt Petunia's thin, horsey face now appeared beside Uncle Vernon's wide, purple one. She looked livid._

" _"Why were you learking under our window?"_

_" "Yes - yes, good point, Petunia! **What were you doing under our window, boy?**"_

_" "Listening to the news." said Harry in a resigned voice._

_" His aunt and uncle exchanged looks of outrage._

_" "Listening to the news! **Again!**"_

"What is Harry waiting for I wonder?" James suddenly thought out loud. "This is from the future. It could be telling the future. What's going to happen to us. Where we will all be in the year 2003."

"Or it could be just a story that a witch or wizard wrote and published as fiction in the Muggle world. Merlin did it loads of times. Of course his books were true..." said Remus.

"This one could be true too. Why would one of our kind want to put out a fictional story about our world? It has to be true!" said James. "And some one from the future is trying to tell us something by going back in time and planting this book for us to read."

"I must agree with you James." said Remus. "I can't see how this book got here be accident."

"Well read some more. I want to know if I get that flying motorbike to work." Sirius said thumbing behind him obviously referring to the broken down motorbike that currently sat in his shed out back.

Remus rolled his eyes and continued to read.

" _"Well, it changes every day, you see," said Harry. _("Good one Harry!" Sirius said cheerfully)

" _" Don't you be clever with me boy! I want to know what you're really up to - and don't give me any more of this **listening to the news **tosh! You know perfectly well the **your lot...**"_

_" "Careful, Vernon!" breathed Aunt Petunia, and Uncle Vernon lowered his voice so that Harry could barely hear him, "... that **your lot **don't get on **our **news!"_

_" "That's all you know," said Harry._

_" The Dursleys goggled at him for a few seconds, then Aunt Petunia said, "You're a nasty little liar. What are all those --" she to lowered her voice so that Harry had to lip-read the next word, "- **owls** - doing if they're not bringing you news?"_

_" "Aha!" said Uncle Vernon in a triumphant whisper. "Get out of that one, boy! As if we didn't know you get all your news from those pestilential birds!"_

_" Harry hesitated for a moment. It cost him something to tell the truth this time, even though his aunt and uncle could not possibly know how bad Harry felt at admitting it._

_" "The Owls... aren't bringing me news," said Harry tonelessly._

_" "I don't believe it." said Aunt Petunia at once._

_" "No more do I," said Uncle Vernon_

_" "We know you're up to something funny," said Aunt Petunia_

_"We're not stupid you know," said Uncle Vernon_

_" "Well, **that's **news to me," said Harry, his temper rising, and before the Dursleys could call him back, he had wheeled about, crossed the front lawn, stepped over the low garden wall, and was striding off up the street."_

"Good for you Harry!" cheered James.

"You tell 'em"

Remus continued.

" _He was in trouble now and he knew it. He would have to face his aunt and uncle later and pay the price for his rudeness. but he did not care very much just at the moment; he had much more pressing matters on his mind._

_" Harry was sure that the cracking noise had been made by someone Apperating or Disapperating. It was exactly the sound Dobby the house-elf made when he vanished into thin air..."_

"How can air be thin." asked Peter.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "We'll explain later."

" _...Was it possible that Dobby was here in Privet Drive? Could Dobby be following him right at this very moment? As this thought occurred he wheeled around and started back down Privet Drive, but it appeared completely deserted again and Harry was sure that Dobby did not know how to become invisible..._

_" He walked on, hardly aware of the route he was taking, for he had pounded these streets so often lately that his feet carried him to his favorite haunts automatically. Every few steps he glanced back over his shoulder. Someone magical had been near him as he lay among Aunt Petunia's dying begonias, he was sure of it. Why hadn't they spoken to him, why hadn't they made contact, why were they hiding now?_

_" And then, as his feeling of frustration peaked, his certainty leaked away. _

_" Perhaps it hadn't been a magical sound after all. Perhaps he was so desperate for the tinniest sign of contact from the world to which he belonged that he simply overreacted to perfectly ordinary noises. Could he be sure it hadn't been the sound of something breaking in a neighbor's house?_

_" Harry felt a dull, sinking sensation in his stomach and, before he knew it, the feeling of hopelessness that had plagued him all summer rolled aver him once again..._

_" Tomorrow morning he would be awoken by the alarm at five o'clock so that he could pay the owl that delivered the Daily Prophet -- but was there and point in continuing to take it? Harry Mearley glanced at the front page before throwing it aside these days; when the idiots who ran the paper finally realize that Voldermort..."_

"Don't say the name!" shrilled Peter covering his ears.

"Oh my gosh!" said Remus reading on to himself.

"What?" said James.

" ..._was back."_ Remus whispered. "So in the future he's going to be destroyed and brought back!"

"Oh good a few peaceful years!" said Sirius.

" _...it would be headline news, and that was the only kind Harry cared about._

_" If he was lucky, there would also be owls carrying letters from his best friends, Ron and Hermione, though any expectation he had had that their letters would bring him news had long since been dashed._

_" **"We can't say much about you know what, obviously..." "We've been told not to say anything important in case our letters go astray..." "We're quite busy but I can't give you details here..." "There's a fair amount going on, we'll tell you everything when we see you..."**_

_" But when were they going to see him? Nobody deemed too bothered with a precise date. Hermione had scribbled. **"I expect we'll be seeing you quite soon" **inside his birthday card, but how soon was soon? As far as Harry could tell from the vague hints in their letters, Hermione and Ron were in the same place, presumably at Ron's parents' house. He could hardly bear to think of the pair of them having fun at the Burrow when he was stuck at Privet Drive. In fact, he was so angry at them that he had thrown both their birthday presents of Honeydukes chocolates away unopened,..."_

"What!" James and Sirius cried together.

" _...though he had regretted this after eating the wilting salad Aunt Petunia had provided for dinner that night."_

"There she goes again!" said Sirius.

" _And what were Ron and Hermione busy with? Why wasn't he, Harry, busy? Hadn't he proved himself capable of handling much more than they? Had they all forgotten what he had done? Hadn't it been **he **who had entered the graveyard and watched Cedric being murdered... _Murdered?" asked Remus.

"Poor kid." said James.

"That's not all!" said Remus. "_...and had been tied to that tombstone and nearly killed...?"_

"What?" everyone cried.

" _**Don't think about that**, Harry told himself sternly for the hundredth time that summer. It was bad enough that he kept revisiting the graveyard in his nightmares, without dwelling on it in his waking moments too."_

"Keep going Remus." said Sirius.

_" He turned a corner into Magnolia Crescent; halfway along he passed the narrow alleyway down the side of a garage where he had first clapped eyes on his godfather, ..."_

"What's the matter Rem?" asked James.

"One of us is mentioned I believe."

"Cool!" cried Sirius. "Who?"

"You." said Remus softly.

"Me! I'm Harry's godfather! That means...James..."

"...Must be Harry's father." said Remus. "It's all very logical. Harry's last name is Potter, he is described to look an almost exact replica of James, then there's Sirius, and how many people are going to name their child Sirius..."

"Only my parents." Sirius said.

"So all that awful stuff happened to **my **son. Then why is he not living with **ME!**" James asked almost shouting. He paused. "Wait does that mean... Petunia is Lily's sister! I marry Lily!" James said and then began to chant it.

"But we still don't know where you are." said Remus. "Or where Peter and I are. Sirius may be the last of the Marauders."

"Don't say that Rem!" shouted Sirius. "You always do this! Always saying that you'll be the one to go first!"

"Well it is the most logical..."

"Just read the book and don't fight." James said calmly, though he had paled considerably.

" _...Sirius, at least, seemed to understand how Harry was feeling; admittedly his letters were just as empty of proper news as Ron and Hermione's, but at least they contained words of caution and consolation instead of tantalizing hints:_

_" "**I know this must be frustrating for you..." "Keep your nose clean and everything will be okay..." "Be careful and don't do anything rash..." **"_

"That doesn't sound like Sirius." said Peter.

"Maybe he's matured." said Remus in a hopeful tone.

Sirius and James exchanged doubtful glances. "NAAAA!" they said.

Remus sighed. "_ Well, thought Harry, as he crossed Magnolia Crescent, turned into Magnolia Road, and headed toward the darkening play park, he has (by and large) done as Sirius advised; he had a least resisted the temptation to tie his trunk to his broomstick and set off for the Burrow by himself. In fact Harry thought his behavior had been very good considering how frustrated and angry he felt a being stuck in Privet Drive this ling, reduced to hiding in flower beds in the hope of hearing something that might point to what Lord Voldemort _(Peter covered his ears.) _was doing. Nevertheless, it was quite galling to be told not to be rash by a man who..." _Remus trailed off. He looked sick.

"What Moony? What did I do?" Sirius said grinning "It can't be real bad."

"Yeah Moony." James said getting up and looking over his shoulder. He read the rest of the sentence then grabbed the book and snapped it shut. "Okay! Time for something to eat! What's in the kitchen Padfoot?" he said tucking the book securely under his arm.

"James!" Sirius growled. "Give the book back to Remus. And Moony you read what's in that book exactly and tell me what is going to happen to me."

James reluctantly handed Remus the book and Remus slowly opened it and turned to the page he was on. He continued reading in a soft calming voice.

" ..._had served twelve years in the wizard prison, Azkaban, escaped, attempted to commit the murder he had been convicted for in the first place, then gone on the run with a stolen hippogriff..."_

James and Remus stared at Sirius. Sirius looked as if he was about to faint. "Wh..."

"Sirius isn't that bad." said Peter. "Sirius wouldn't even kill Snape. Would you?"

"No of course not." Sirius shouted. "You read it wrong Moony!"

"I'm sorry Sirius." said Remus. "That's what it says." He handed the book over to Sirius.

Sirius read and reread the passage over and over again.

"Well," said James. "At least you know where you are. The rest of us are still lost."

"And you didn't really commit the crime you were committed for." said Peter.

"Let's keep reading and find out." said James calmly even though in his mind he knew that if Sirius was Harry's godfather and he had been put in Azkaban he knew that he couldn't be any better off. Remus and Peter on the other hand; he had no clue. He took the book back from Sirius and gave it to Remus. "Go on Moony."

" _Harry vaulted over the locked park gate and set off across the parched grass. The park was empty as the surrounding streets. When he reached the swings he sank onto the only one that Dudley and his friends had not yet managed to break, coiled one arm around the chain, and stared moodily at the ground. He would not be able to hide in the Drusleys' flower bed again. Tomorrow he would have to think of some fresh way to listening to the news. In the meantime, he had nothing to look forward to but another restless, disturbed night, because even when he escaped nightmares about Cedric he had unsettling dreams about long dark corridors, all finding in dead ends and locked doors, which he suppose had something to do with the trapped feeling he had when he was awake. Often the old scar in his forehead prickled uncomfortably, but he did not fool himself that Ron or Hermione or Sirius would find that very interesting anymore...In the past his scar hurting warned that Voldemort _(Peter flinched) _was getting stronger again, but now that Voldermort _(Oh stop Peter!) _was back they would probably remind him that its regular irritation was only to be expected...Nothing to worry about...old news._

_" The injustice of it all welled up inside him so that he wanted to yell with fury. If it hadn't been for him, nobody would have even known Voldemort was back! And his reward was to be stuck in Little Whinging for four solid weeks, completely cue off from the magical world, reduced to squatting among dying begonias so that he could hear about water-skiing budgerigars! How could Dumbledore have forgotten him so easily?..."_

"I was wondering if that old coot was still around." James said nudging Sirius playfully.

Sirius just sat there staring at Remus with a blank look.

Slightly unnerved Remus continued. "..._Why had Ron and Hermione gotten together without inviting him along too?How much longer was he suppose to endure Sirius telling him to sit tight and be a good boy; or resist the temptation to write to the stupid Daily Prophet and point out that Voldemort had returned? These furious thoughts whirled around in Harry's head, and his insides writhed with anger as a sultry, velvety night fell around him, the air full of the smell of warm, dry grass and the only sound that of the low grumble of traffic on the rode beyond the park railings._

_" He did not know how long he had sat on the swing before the sound of voices interrupted his musings and he looked up. The streetlamps from the surrounding roads were casting a misty glow strong enough to silhouette a group of people making their way across the park. One of them was singing a loud, crude song. The others were laughing. A soft ticking noise came from several expensive racing bikes that they where wheeling along._

_" Harry knew who those people were, The figure in front was unmistakably his cousin, Dudley Dursley, wending his way home, accompanied by his faithful gang. _

_" Dudley was as vast as ever, but a year's hard dieting and the discovery of a new talent wrought quite a change to his physique. As Uncle Vernon delightedly told anyone who would listen, Dudley had recently become the Junior Heavyweight Inter-School Boxing Champion of the Southeast. "The noble sport," as Uncle Vernon called it, had made Dudely even more formidable than he had seemed to Harry in the primary school days when he had served as Dudley's first punching bag..._"

"Punching Bag! A Potter!" cried James indignantly. "This is outrageous!"

" _Harry was not remotely afraid of his cousin anymore but he still didn't think that Dudley learning to punch harder an more accurately was cause for celebration. Neighborhood children all around were terrified of him -- even more terrified than they were about "that Potter boy," who, they had been warned, was a hardened hooligan who attended St. Brutus's Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys."_

"NO!" James shouted. "My son goes to Hogwarts not St. Whatsis..."

"St. Brutus's." said Remus in a calm tone. "Of course he doesn't go there. He goes to Hogwarts. That's probably just a nasty cover story the Dursleys' made up."

James muttered something under his breath.

"What?" asked Remus kindly.

"Nothing. Keep reading."

Remus gave James a supsious glance before continuing.

" _Harry watched the dark figures crossing the grass and wandered whom they had been beating up tonight. **Look round, **Harry found himself thinking as he watched them go. **Come on...look round... I'm sitting here all and have a go...**_ (Just like his father.)

" _If Dudley's friends saw him sitting here, they would be sure to make a beeline for him, and what would Dudley do then? He wouldn't want to lose face in front of the gang, but he would be terrified of provoking harry.... It would be really fun to watch Dudley's dilemma; to taunt him, watch him, with him powerless to respond..and if any of the others tried hitting Harry , Harry was ready -- he had his wand..."_

"You go son. Make your Dad proud..." James said.

"But James, Harry can't do magic he'll get expelled."

"Drat!"

" ..._let them try.. He'd love to vent some of his frustration on the boys who has once made his life hell --_

_" But they did not turn around, _(Thank goodness!) _they did not see him, they were almost at the railings. Harry mastered the impulse to call after them. ...Seeking a fight was not a smart move...He must not use magic...He would be risking expulsion again..."_

"Again?" asked James. "He's done magic outside school before?"

"Supposedly." said Remus looking the book over. "This seems to be a book in a series. _Year _5

and Rowling. Do we know a Rowling?"

"Jo." Sirius said gruffly.

"Who?" asked James and Remus. (Peter had disappeared leaving a note saying he had to go home. He probably had a big Death Eater meeting he had to attend!)

"Jo Rowling. Huffelpuff. Dated her." said Sirius in a dazed sort of voice.

"Oh," said Remus. " Anyway..._ Dudley's gang's voices died; they were out of sight, heading along Magnolia Road._

_" **There you go Sirius, **Harry thought dully, **Nothing rash. Kept my nose clean. Exactly the opposite of what you've done...**_"

Sirius heaved a sigh. "I'm so tired of all this." he said.

"I know what you mean. I wish we knew if all of this were true."

"What if it is?" asked Remus. "What if it is and we changed time! It could be a disaster!"

"Moony, why would someone send us the book and not want us to change the future...their past." asked James.

"Maybe Harry sent it. He's only a kid. Maybe he sent it so that Sirius wouldn't be sent to prison."

"Good for Harry!" cried Sirius.

"But Sirius changing the future is a huge risk. What if Voldemort is never distroyed and we all die even Harry and Voldemort wins? The risks are too high. I say we should put the book back and never open it again!"

"No Moony!" James and Sirius shouted.

"We promise not to change the future if you'll keep reading." said James.

Remus looked at them doubtfully. "I don't know...."

"Moony! Please. And besides don't you want to find out what happened to you. Maybe they cured werewolves and you get to lead a normal life." said Sirius.

Remus cursed. "Padfoot how do you know exactly what to say to get me to do what you want?"

"I read your journal." said Sirius shrugging.

"How did you..."Remus glared at Sirius. "Fine!

" _He got to his feet and stretched Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon seemed to feel that whenever Dudley turned up was the right time to be home, and anytime after that was much too late. Uncle Vernon had threatened to lock Harry in the shed..._

"What no comment James?" Remus asked.

James shrugged. "I can't expect less from them and their wicked ways."

" ..._if he came home after Dudley again, so stifling a yawn..." _Remus paused to yawn himself.

Soon James and Sirius were yawning too. (A/N: Why does reading the word yawn make you yawn? Bet you're yawning right now! smirks)

"..._still scowling, harry set off toward the park gate._

_" magnolia Road, like Privet Drive, was full of large square houses with perfectly manicured lawns, all owned by large square owners who drove very clean cars similar to Uncle Vernon's. Harry preferred Little Whinging by night, when the curtained windows made patches of jewel-bright colors in the darkness and he ran no danger of hearing disapproving mutters about his "delinquent" appearance when he passed the householders. He walked quickly, so that halfway along Magnolia Road Dudley's gang came into view again; they were saying their farewells at the entrance to Magnolia Crescent. Harry stepped into the shadow of a large lilac tree an d waited._

_" "...squealed like a pig, didn't he?" Malchom was saying, to guffaws from the others._

_" "Nice right hook, Big D," said Piers._

_" "Same time tomorrow?" said Dudley._

_" "Round at my place, my parents are out," said Gordon._

_" "See ya you then," said Dudley._

_" "Bye Dud!" _

_" "See ya, Big D!"_

_" Harry waited for the rest of the gang to move on before setting off again. When their voices had faded once more he headed around the corner into Magnolia Crescent and by walking very quickly he soon came within hailing distance of Dudley, who was strolling along at his ease, humming tunelessly._

_" "Hey, Big D!" _

_" Dudley turned._

_" "Oh," he grunted. "It's you."_

_" "How long have you been 'Big D' then?" said Harry._

_" "Shut it," snarled Dudley, turning away again._

_" "Cool name," said Harry,..."_

"Harry is strange." said Sirius dreamily.

"Padfoot I worry about you...

_" ...grinning and falling into step beside his cousin. "But you'll always be Ickle Diddykins to me."_

James, Sirius and Remus burst out laughing.

"Oh I get him now!" cried Sirius.

"That's my son!" James cheered.

" _"I said , SHUT IT!" said Dudley, whose ham-like hands had curled up into fists._

_" "Don't the boys know that's what your mum calls you?"_

_"Shut your face."_

_" "You don't tell **her** to shut her face. What about 'popkin' and 'Dinkey Diddydums,' can I use them then?"_

_" Dudley said nothing. The effort of keeping himself from hitting Harry seemed to be demanding all his self-control._

_" "So who've you been beating up tonight?" Harry asked, his grin fading. "Another ten-year-old? I know you did mark Evans two nights ago-"_

"Evans?" James asked. "Lily's relative?" James pouted. "I wanted to marry her."

"James, if she got married she would have changed her last name." said Remus exasperated.

"Oh yeah right." James said sheepishly.

" _"He was asking for it," snarled Dudley._

_" "Oh yeah?"_

_" "He cheeked me."_

_" "Yeah? Did he say you look like a pig that's been taught to walk on it's hind legs? 'Cause that's not cheek, Dud, that's true..."_

"HA!" James cried. "That's my boy." he said wiping a tear of mirth from his eye.

" _A muscle was twitching in Dudley's jaw. It gave Harry enormous satisfaction to know how furious he was making Dudley; he felt as though he was siphoning off hid own frustration into his cousin, the only outlet he had._

_" They turned right down the narrow alleyway where Harry had first seen Sirius and which formed a shortcut between Magnolia Crescent and Wisteria Walk. It was empty and much darker than the streets it linked because there were no streetlamps. Their footsteps were muffled between the garage walls on one side and a high fence on the other. _

_" "Think you're a big man carrying that thing, don't you?" Dudley said after a few seconds._

_" "What thing?"_

_" "That--that thing you're hiding."_

_" "Not as stupid as you look, are you, Dud? But I s'pose if you were, you wouldn't be able to walk and talk at the same time.."_

_" "Harry pulled out his wand. he saw Dudley look sideways at it._

_" "You're not allowed," Dudley said at once. "I know you're not. You'd get expelled from that freak school you go to."_

"Freak school!" Sirius said indignantly. "Maybe I should really kill someone..."

"Now now Padfoot. You wouldn't really kill anybody. Maybe hurt them... but never kill them." Remus said calmly.

Sirius sighed. "You're right Moony. Go on."

" _"How d'you know they haven't changed the rules, Big D?"_

_" "They haven't, said Dudley, though he didn't sound completely convinced. Harry laughed softly._

_" "You haven't got the guts to take me on without that thing, have you?" Dudley snarled._

_" "Whereas you just need four mates behind you before you can beat up a ten-year-old. You know that boxing title you keep bragging o about? How old was you opponent? Seven? Eight?"_

_" "He was sixteen for your information," snarled Dudley, 'and he was out cold for twenty minuets after I'd finished with him and he was wince as heavy as you. You just wait till I tell Dad you had that thing out --"_

_" "Running to Daddy now, are you? Is his ickle boxing champ frightened of nasty Harry's wand?"_

Sirius, Remus and James paused and had a good laugh before Remus continued.

"_ "Not this brave at night, are you?" sneered Dudley._

"What's he mean by that?" asked James.

" _"This **is** night, Diddykins. That's what we call it when it goes all dark like this."_

"Good one!" the three Marauders cried.

_" "I mean when you're in bed!" Dudley snarled._

_" He had stopped walking. Harry stopped too, staring at his cousin. From the little he could see of Dudley's large face, he was wearing a strangely triumphant look. _

_" "What d'you mean, I'm not brave in bed?" said Harry completly nonplussed. "What - am I suppose to be frightened of pillows or something?"_

_" "I heard you last night," said Dudley breathlessly. "Talking in your sleep. **Moaning**." _

"So? He's a teenager." James said shrugging.

Sirius sniggered. "Remember he's your son."

"Oh er... well." James said blushing.

"Evidently there is something between you two that I don't want to know about." said Remus.

"As if you haven't dreamed about that special little Raveclaw." said Sirius.

"Er..

"Thought so." said Sirius.

" _"What d'you mean?" Harry said again, but there was a cold, plunging in his stomach. he had revisited the graveyard last night in his dreams_

_" Dudley gave a harsh bark of laughter then adopted a high-pitched, whimpering voice " 'Don't kill Cedric! Don't kill Cedric!' Who'd Cedric -- your boyfriend?"_

"Never... my son... never!" said James. " 'Course if he were I'd be okay with it but...Never!"

Sirius patted James' back. "The kid's just getting to him." he said. He seemed to finally have gotten over his 'convicted murderer' situation.

" "_I - you're lying - " said Harry automatically. But his mouth had gone dry. He knew Dudley wasn't lying - how else would he know about Cedric?_

_" " 'Dad! Help me, Dad! He's going to kill me, Dad! Boo-hoo!' " _Remus had begun to read very slowly

" _"Shut up," said Harry quietly, "Shut up, Dudley, I'm warning you!"_

_" " 'Come and help me, Dad! Mum, come and help me!..._"

James got up and left the room.

"This is awful!" Sirius said. "He's crying out for help and James is not there to save him. Oh Merlin what if he is dead! I swear if he is I will take care of Harry as my own son."

"As will I!" said Remus.

The two friends sat in silence and waited. Ten minuets later James returned. His eyes were red and puffy.

"Sorry guys." he said.

"It's okay Prongs. It's okay to cry." said Sirius.

James laughed but it wasn't his usual merry laugh. It was hollow and somewhat forced. "This day is too weird. Now Padfoot is telling me 'It's okay to cry' Never thought I'd see the day."

"Should I continue, James?" Remus asked tenitivly.

James nodded.

" _"...He's killed Cedric! Dad, help me! He's going to --' **Don't you point that thing at me**!"_

_" Dudley backed into the alley wall. harry was pointing the wand directly at Dudley's heart. harry could feel fourteen years' hatred of Dudley pounding in his veins --what wouldn't he give to strike now, to jinx Dudley so thoroughly he'd have to crawl home like an insect, struck dumb, sprouting feelers --_

_" "Don't ever talk about that again," Harry snarled. "D'you understand me?"_

_" "Point that thing somewhere else!" _

_" "I said **do you understand me?**"_

_" "**Point it somewhere else**!"_

_" "DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"_

_" "GET THAT THING AWAY FROM --"_

_" Dudley gave and odd, shuddering gasp, as though he had been doused by icy water._

" Something had happened to the night. The star-strewn indigo sky was suddenly pitch-black and lightness - the stars, the..."

Moon?" said Sirius.

Remus nodded then continued.

" _the misty streetlamps at either end of the alley had vanished, The distant grumble of cars and the whisper of trees had gone. The balmy evening was suddenly piercingly, bitingly cold. They were surrounded by total. impenetrable, silent darkness, as though some giant hand had dropped a tick, icy mantle over the entire alleyway, blinding them._

_" For a split second Harry thought he had done magic without meaning to, dispite the fact that he'd been resisting as hard as he could-- then his reason caught up with his senses -- he didn't have the power to turn of the stars. he turned his head this way and that, trying to see something, but the darkness pressed on his eyes like a weightless veil._

_" Dudley's terrified voice broke in Harry's' ear._

_" "W-what are you d-doing? St-stop it?"_

_" "I'm not doing anything! Shut up and don't move!"_

_" " I -can't see! I've g-gone blind! I --"_

_" "I said shut up!"_

_" Harry stood stock-still, turning his sightless eyes left and right. The cold was so intense that he was shivering all over; goose bumps had erupted up his arms, and the hairs on the back of his neck were standing up - he opened his eyes to their fulles_t_ extent, staring blankly around, unseeing..._

_" It was impossible.... They couldn't be here..... Not in Little Whinging... He strained his ears....he would hear them before he saw them..._

_" "I'll tell Dad!" Dudley whimpered. "W-where are you? What are you d-do --?_

_" "Will you shut up?" Harry hissed, "I'm trying to lis --"_

_" But he fell silent. he had heard just the thing he had been dreading._

_" There was something in the alleyway apart from themselves, something that was drawing long, hoarse, ratteling breaths. Harry felt a horrible jolt of dread as he stood trembling in the freezing air._

_" "C-cut it out! Stop doing it! I'll h-hit you. I swear I will!"_

_" "Dudley, shut --"_

_" WHAM!_

_" A fist made contact with the side of Harry's head, lifting Harry off his feet. Small white lights popped in front of Harry's eyes; for the second time in an hour he felt as though his head had been cleaved in two; next moment he had landed hard on the ground, and his wand had flown out of his hand._

_" "You moron, Dudley!" Harry yelled, his eyes watering with pain, as he scrambled to his hands and knees, now feeling around frantically in the blackness. he heard Dudley blundering away, hitting the alley fence, stumbling._

_" "DUDLEY, COME BACK! YOU'RE RUNNING RIGHT AT IT!" _

_" There was a horrible squealing yell, and Dudley's footsteps stopped. At that same moment, Harry felt a creeping chill behind him that could mean only one thing. There was more than one._

"Dementors!" Remus said shivering.

"Are they trying to find me?" asked Sirius.

"Dunno?

" _"DUDLEY, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT! WHATEVER YOU DO, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT! Wand!" Harry muttered frantically, his hands flying over the ground like spiders. "Where's -- wand -- come on -- **Lumos**!"_

_" He said the spell automatically, desperate for light to help him in his search --and to his disbelieving relief, light flared inches from his right hand -- the wand top ignited, Harry snatched it up, scrambled to his feet, and turned around._

_" His stomach turned over. _

_" A towering, hooded figure was gliding smoothly toward him, hovering over the ground, no feet of face visible beneath its robes, sucking on the night as it came._

"Oh Merlin! It is a Dementor!" Remus said.

"In the Muggle world?" said James.

" _Stumbling backward, Harry raised his wand._

_" "**Expecto Patronum**!" _

"How did he learn to do that?" Remus asked

_" A silvery whips of vapor shot from the tip of the wand and the dementor slowed, but the spell hadn't worked properly; tripping over his feet, Harry retreated farther as the dementor bore down upon him, panic fogging his brain -- **concentrate** --_

_" A pair of gray, slimy, scabbed hands slid from inside the dementor's robes, reaching for him. A rushing noise filled Harry's ears._

_" "**Expecto Patronum!**"_

_" His voice sounded dim and distant...Another whips of silver smoke, feebler than the last, drifted from the wand -- he couldn't do it anymore, he couldn't work the spell --"_

James and Sirius were on their knees at Remus' feet. Remus looked down at them. "Sirius your fingernails are cutting into my knee." he growled.

"S..sorry Moony." he said removing his hands from his friend's knee.

Beside him James sniggered.

" _There was laughter inside his own head, shrill, high-pitched laughter....He could smell the dementor's putrid, death-cold breath, filling his own lungs, drowning him -- **Think...something happy....**_

_" But there was no happiness in him.... The dementor's icy fingers were closing on his throat -- the high-pitched laughter was growing louder and louder, and a voice spoke inside his head -- "**Bow to death Harry... It may even be painless....I would not know.... I have never died..."**_

_" He was never going to see Ron and Hermione again --_

_" And their faces burst clearly into his mind as he fought for breath --_

_" "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"_

_" An enormous silver stag erupted from the tip of Harry's wand;..._

"A _stag_!" Remus whispered.

James was really pale now. There was no doubt about it now. Harry was his son. "Oh Merlin." he whispered.

"Prongs you should be proud!" Remus said. "Harry just did very powerful magic. You can't even produce a Patronus."

James just nodded. "A stag!" he whispered.

" _...its antlers caught the dementor in the place where the heart should have been; it was thrown backward, weightless as darkness, and as the stag charged, the dementor swooped away, batlike and defeated._

_" "THIS WAY!" Harry shouted at the stag. Wheeling around, he sprinted down the alleyway, holding the lit wand aloft. "DUDLEY? DUDLEY!"_

_" He had run bearly a dozen steps when he reached them: Dudley was curled on the ground, his arms clamped over his face; a second dementor was crouching low over him, gripping his wrists in his slimy hands, prizing them slowly almost lovingly apart, lowering its hooded head toward Dudley's face as though about to kiss him..._

_" "GET IT!" Harry bellowed, and with a rushing, roaring, sound, the silver stag he had conjured came galloping back past him. The dementor's eyeless face was berly in inch from Dudley's when the silver antlers caught it; the thing was thrown up into the air and , like its fellow, it soared away and was absorbed into the darkness. The stag cantered to the end of the alleyway and dissolved into silver mist."_

"Cantered?" Sirius asked. "Sounds like James."

" _M...moon, stars, and streetlamps burst back into life. A warm breeze swept the alleyway. Trees rustled in the neighboring gardens and the mundane rumble of cars in Magnolia Crescent filled the air again. Harry stood quite still, all his senses vibrating, taking in the abrupt rythem to normality. After a moment he became aware that his T-shirt was sticking to him; he was drenched in sweat._

_" He could not believe what had just happened. Dementors **here**, in Little Whinging..._

_" Dudley lay curled up on the ground, whimpering and shaking. Harry Bent down to see whether he was in a fit state to stand up, but then heard loud running footsteps behind him; instinctively raising his wand again, he spun on his heel to face the newcomer._

_"Mrs. Figg, their batty old neighbor, came panting into sight. her grizzled gray hair was escaping from its hairnet, a clanking string shopping bag was swinging from her wrist, and her feet were halfway out of her tartan carpet slippers. Harry made to stow his wand hurriedly out of sight, but --_

_" "Don't put it away, idiot boy!" she shrieked. "What if there are more of them around? Oh, I'm going to **kill** Mundungus Fletcher!" "_

"That's chapter one." Remus said.

"Thank Merlin for the Professor who taught Harry that spell!" James said.

"Let's take a break and read another chapter tomorrow." said Remus with a slight plea.

"Sure Remus. Why don't you stay the night Rem?" Sirius said. "You too James."

"Okay just let me tell my parents." James said disapperating.

Moments later he was back. "Okay! What's for dinner Padfoot?"

Sirius groaned and stood up. "Come on! You guys you can help me make dinner!"

Okay! Swoo! That was the longest thing I've ever typed! Next time I will split the chapter up! It will get updated faster and I won't be pressing myself to stay up late and finish typing it. OH and one more thing .....

YAWN! smirks yawns Darn it!


	3. A Peck of Owls Part 1

Dis: I do not own The Marauders they are JKR's. ( But imagine if I did own them!) _These _words are JKR's too. You know the ones that look like _this_.

Summery: James, Remus, and Ratboy... er... Peter are at Sirius' new flat when they find a mysterious book hidden under a floorboard. They begin to read it and find out that this is their future.

Thanks to all my reviewers! Love you guys!

The Marauders and "The Order of the Phoenix"

Chapter Three: Chapter Two Part I

The next morning Sirius, James and Remus woke and had breakfast.

"Padfoot, stop dripping syrup in my hair!" Remus said annoyed. It was the fifth time Sirius had walked by Remus purposely and dropped a few drops of syrup on his head. Remus did another cleaning spell with a sigh. "Once more and you can read today."

"Okay Moony. No need to get all huffy puffy." said Sirius grinning. "Don't blow my house down." he added as an afterthought.

James cracked up laughing but Remus scowled.

"Enough with the werewolf jokes okay?"

"Okay Moony." said Sirius. "I'm sorry."

Remus sighed yet again. "I forgive you I always do and I suppose I always will."

"Good. Are you done now Sirius." James said.

"Just one more...Hey! You can't do that face!" Sirius yelled. As James gave him the "puppy dog" face.

"That's my face. Only I can use it.... and Remus. NO. No stupid stag can use that face!"

Remus began to do the "puppy face" thing too. (A/N: I just had to say that I just absolutely adore Remus' "Puppy Face")

"NO! Damn werewolf! Stop. I give we can go read now!" Sirius said. Then he performed a spell on the dished so that they would clean themselves and put themselves away. (Wish I could do that in the Real World)

Five minuets later they were again up in the spare bedroom that had now become Remus' room because he chose to sleep there last night. Author pictures sleeping Remus and sighes

Remus too his place in the chair by the window. He liked this chair for some reason.

"Okay..." Remus began. "Chapter two...

"..._A Peck of Owls_

_"..."What?" said Harry blankly._

_" "He left!" said Mrs. Figg, wringing her hands. "Left to see someone about a batch of cauldrons that fell off the back of a broom! I told him I'd flay him alive if he went, and now look! Dementors! It's just lucky I put Mr. Tibbils on the case! But we haven't got time to stand around! Hurry, now we've got to get you back! Oh, the trouble this is going to cause! I will **kill** him!"_

_" "But--"_

_" The revelation that his batty old cat obsessed neighbor knew what dementors were was almost as big a shock to Harry as meeting two of them down the alleyway. "You're -- you're a **witch**!" _

_" "I'm a Squib, as Mundungus knows full well, so how on earth was I suppose to help you fight off dementors? He left you completely without cover when I **warned** him --"_

_" "This bloke Mundungus has been following me? Hang in -- it was **him**! He Disapparated from the front of my house!"_

"Bright one your son is." Sirius said.

"Let's keep your smart mouth down to a minimum today okay Sirius?"

"Me smart..."

"He has a point James. Sirius is not the brightest candle..."

"Shut up Moony and just keep reading." said Sirius.

" "_Yes, yes, **yes**, but luckily I'd stationed Mr. Tibbles..._"

"Stupid cat." said Sirius.

"I like cats." said Remus.

" ..._under a car just in case, and Mr. Tibbles came and warned me, but by the time I got to your house you'd gone -- and now -- oh, **what's **Dumbledore going to say? You!" she shrieked at Dudley, still supine on the alley floor. "Get your fat bottom off the ground, quick!"_

"Finally somebody told him what he is." said James.

"Harry insulted him worse in the last chapter. Remember Jamie Boy." said Sirius.

The two of them seemed to resolve to not worry about what happens in the book and be their normal selves.

"Oh right. And **don't** call me "Jamie Boy" I hate when you use that name."

_" "You know Dumbledore?" said Harry, staring at her._

_" "Of course I know Dumbledore, who doesn't know Dumbledore? But calm **on **-- I'll be no help if they come back, I've never so much as Transfigured a teabag --"_

_" She stooped down, seized one of Dudley's massive arms in her wizened hands, and tugged._

_" "Get **up**, you useless lump, get **up**!"_

_" But Dudley either could not or would not move. He was still on the ground,trembling and ashen face, his mouth shut very tight._

_" "I'll do it." Harry took hold of Dudley's arm and heaved: With an enormous effort he managed to hoist Dudley to his feet. Dudley seemed to be on the point of fainting: His small eyes were rolling in their sockets and sweat was beading his face; the moment Harry let go of him he swayed dangerously._

_" "Hurry up!" said Mrs. Figg hysterically._

_" Harry pulled one of Dudley's massive arms around his own shoulders and dragged him toward the road, sagging slightly under his weight. Mrs. Figg tottered along in front of them, peering anxiously around the corner_

_" "Keep your wand out," she told Harry, as they entered Whisteria Walk. "Never mind the Statute of Secrecy now, there's going to be hell to pay anyway, we might as well be hanged for a dragon as an egg. Talk about the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery . . . This was **exactly** what Dumbledore was afraid o - what's that at the end of the street? Oh, it's just Mr. Prentice. . . . Don't put your wand away, boy, don't I keep telling you I'm no use?"_

_" It was not easy to hold a wand steady and carry Dudley along at the same time. Harry gave his cousin an impatient dig in the ribs, but Dudley seemed to have lost all desire for independent movement. He was slumped on Harry's shoulder, his large feet dragging along the ground_

_" "Why didn't you tell me you're a Squib?" Harry asked Mrs. Figg, panting with the effort to keep walking. "All those times I came round your house -- why didn't you say anything?"_

_" "Dumbledore's orders. I was to keep an eye on you but not say anything, you were too young. I'm sorry I gave you such a miserable time, but the Dursleys would never have let you come if they'd thought you enjoyed it. It wasn't easy, you know. . . . But oh my would," she said tragically, wringing her hands once more, "when Dumbledore hears about this -- how could Mundugus have left, he was suppose to be on duty until midnight -- **where is he**? How am I going to tell Dumbledor what's happened, I can't Apparate --"_

_" "I've got an owl, you can borrow her," Harry groaned, wondering whether his spine was going to snap under Dudley's weight._

_" "Harry, you don't understand! Dumbledore will need to act as quickly as possible, the Ministry have their own ways of detecting underage magic, they'll know already, you mark my words --"_

_" "But I was getting rid of dementors, I had to use magic -- they're going to be more worried what dementors were doing floating around Whisteria Walk, surly?"_

"Yeah, we were allowed to do magic if it was absolutely needed." said Sirius.

"I have a feeling that they won't like Harry doing magic." Remus said. "After all he had said he had done it before."

James and Sirius sat for silently staring at Remus.

_" "Oh my dear, I wish it were so but I'm afraid --MUNGUNGUS FLETCHER I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!" _

_" There was a loud **crack** and a strong smell of mingled drink and stale tobacco filled the air as a squat, unshaven man in a tattered coat materialized right in front of them. He had short brandy legs, long straggly ginger hair, and bloodshot baggy eyes that gave him the doleful look of a basset hound;..."_

"I love basset hounds." said Sirius. "They look so sad and cute."

"Sirius you need to spend more time as a human." said Remus before continuing.

" _... he was also clutching a silvery bundle that Harry recognized at once as an Invisibility Cloak._

_" "'S'up, Figgy?" he said, staring from Mrs. Figg to Harry and Dudley. "What 'appened to staying undercover.?"_

"I like this Mundungus bloke." said Sirius.

"Well he does sound pretty cool but he left my son to defend himself against dementors..." said James.

"He's only human." said Sirius shrugging.

" _"I'll give you undercover!" cried Mrs. Figg. "**Dementors, **you useless skiving sneak thief!"_

_" "Dementors?" repeated Mundungus, aghast. "Dementors here?"_

_" "Yes here, you worthless pile of bat droppings, here!" _

"Go Mrs. Figg!" James cried.

" _...shrieked Mrs. Figg. "Dementors attacking the boy on your watch!"_

_" "Blimey," said Mundungus weakly, looking from Mrs. Figg to Harry and back again. "Blimey, I ..."_

_" "Any you off buying stolen cauldrons! Didn't I tell you not to go? **Didn't I**?"_

_" "I -- well, I --" Mundungus looked deeply uncomfortable. "It... it was a very good business opportunity, see..."_

_Mrs. Figg raised the arm from which her string bag dangled and whacked Mundungus around the face and neck with it; judging by the clanking noise it made it was full of cat food._

James laughed. "Good for Mrs. Figg."

Sirius scooted away from James. "And he says I have problems."

"Actually I said you were the one who had problems." said Remus.

"Oh..."

"_ "Ouch -- gerroff -- gerroff, you mad old bat! Someone's gotta tell Dumbledore!" _

_" "Yes -- they -- have!" yelled Mrs. Figg, still swinging the bag of cat food at every bit of Mundungus she could reach, "And -- it -- had -- better-- be -- you -- and -- you -- can -- tell -- him-- why-- you ---weren't -- there -- to -- help."_

_" "Keep your 'airnet on! said Mundungus, his arms over his head, cowering. "I'm going, I'm going!"_

_" And with another loud **crack**, he vanished._

_"I hope Dumbledore **murders **him!" said Mrs. Figg furiously. "Now come **on**, Harry, what are you waiting for?"_

_" Harry decided not to waste his remaining breath on pointing out that he could bearly walk under Dudley's bulk. He gave the semiconscious Dudley a heave and staggered onward_

_" "I'll take you to the door," said Mrs. Figg, as they turned into Privet Drive. "Just in case there are more of them around .... Oh my word, what a catastrophe ... and you had to fight them off yourself... and Dumbledore said we were to keep you from doing magic at all costs.... Well, it's no good crying over spilt potion, I suppose.... but the cats among the pixies now..."_

_" "So," Harry panted, "Dumbledore's....been having....me followed?"_

_" "Of course he has," said Mrs. Figg impatiently. "Did you expect him to let you wander around on your own after what happened in June? Good Lord, boy they told me you were intelligent..."_

"Hey now that's and insult!" said James indignantly.

" _"....Right... get inside and stay there." she said as they reached number four. "I expect someone will be in touch with you soon enough."_

_" "What are you going to do?" asked Harry quickly._

_" "I'm going straight home," said Mrs. Figg, staring around the dark street and shuddering, "I'll need to wait for more instructions. Just stay in the house. Good night."_

_" "Hang on, don't go yet! I want to know --"_

_" But Mrs. Figg had already set off at a trot, carpet slippers flopping, string bag clanking._

_" "Wait!" Harry shouted after her; he had a million questions to ask anyone who was in contact with Dumbledor; but within seconds Mrs. Figg as swallowed by the darkness. Scowling, Harry readjusting Dudley on his shoulder and made his slow, painful way up number four's garden path._

_" The hall light was on. Harry stuck his wand inside the waistband of his jeans, rang the bell, and watched Aunt Petunia's outline grow larger and larger, oddly distorted by the rippling glass in the front door._

_" "Diddy! About time too, I was getting quite -- quite --**Diddy, what's the matter?**"_

_" Harry looked sideways at Dudley and ducked out from under his arm just in time. Dudley swayed for a moment on the spot, his face pale green, then he opened his mouth at last and vomited all over the doormat."_

"Oh gross!" yelled Sirius. "That is disgusting!"

"You can say that again." said James.

"That is disgusting!"

"It was a saying. He didn't really mean for you to say it again." said Remus.

" "_DIDDY! Diddy, what's the matter with you? Vernon? VERNON!"_

_" Harry's uncle came galloping out of their living room, walrus mustache blowing hither and thither as it always did when he was agitated. He hurried forward to help Aunt Petunia negotiate a weak-kneed Dudley over the threshold while avoiding stepping in the pool of sick._

_" "He's ill Vernon!"_

_" "What is it, son?" What's happened? Did Mrs. Polkiss give you something foreign for tea?"_

_" "Why are you all covered in dirt, darling? Have you been lying on the ground?"_

_" "Hang on -- you haven't been mugged, have you, son?"_

_" Aunt Petunia screamed._

_" "Phone the police, Vernon! Phone the police! Diddy, darling, speak to Mummy! What did they do to you?"_

_" In all the kerfuffle, (_A/N Is that a word?) _nobody seemed to noticed Harry, which suited him perfectly. He managed to slip inside just before Uncle Vernon slammed the door and while the Dursleys made their noisy progress down the hall toward the kitchen, Harry moved carefully and quietly toward the stairs._

_" "Who did it, son? Give us names. We'll get them, don't worry."_

_" "Shh! He's trying to say something, Vernon! What is it Diddy? Tell Mummy!"_

_" Harry's foot was on the bottonmost stair when Dudley found his voice._

_" **Him**."_

_" Harry froze, foot on the stair, face screwed up, braced for the explosion._

_" "BOY! COME HERE!"_

_" With a feeling of mingled dread and anger, Harry removed his foot slowly from the stair and turned to follow the Dursleys._

_" The scrupulously clean kitchen had an oddly unreal glitter after the darkness outside. aunt Petunia was ushering Dudley into a chair; he was still very green and clammy looking. Uncle Vernon was standing in front of the draining board, glaring at Harry through tiny, narrowed eyes._

_" "What have you done to my son?" he said in a menacing growl._

"He didn't do a thing!" Sirius yelled. "Why in the word would..."

"Remember who these people are." said Remus.

"Yeah." said James. "The...."

"Don't say it James!" Remus said warningly. "Let's just continue reading the book and see what happens."

"Fine but I refuse to let these people take my son. I'll send him to...I don't know...Snape! I'll send him to Snape before I let these people take him!" James yelled standing up.

"But _James_! Snape had got to be a Death Eater! You can't give Harry to him!" Sirius screamed. "I love Harry give him to me!" Sirius said jumping up too.

"I would but you get put in Azkaban!" James continued yelling.

"Oh thank you very much for bringing that painful subject up!"

"HEY! HEY! SHUT UP BOTH OF YOU!" Remus joined in the yelling. "Why are you fighting?"

James and Sirius stared at one another and began to laugh.

"What in hell were we doing?" asked Sirius.

James laughed. "I haven't the slightest." he said chuckling. "I'm sorry Padfoot."

"As am I." said Sirius.

"Well, if everything is settled then we can go on right?"

"Sure sure Moony. And thank you for being the coolheaded one." said James.

"Yeah what would we do without you?"

"I haven't a clue." said Remus. "Now may I continue?"

James and Sirius sat back down and Remus began to read again.

" _"Nothing," said harry, knowing perfectly well that Uncle Vernon wouldn't Believe him._

_" "What did he do to you, Diddy?" Aunt Petunia said in a quivering voice, now sponging sick from the front of Dudley's leather jacket. "Was it -- was it you-know-what, darling? Did he use -- his **thing.**_"

Sirius sniggered.

Remus gave him a stern look. "She meant his wand."

"Still..." said Sirius still sniggering.

"Get your mind out of the gutter." said James. "That's my son you're talking about."

"Oh but I have a Condo in the gutter." said Sirius with a wink.

Remus groaned.

" _Slowly, tremously, Dudley nodded._

_" "I didn't!" Harry said sharply, as Aunt Petunia let out a wail and Uncle Vernon raised his fists. "I didn't do anything to him, it wasn't me, it was --"_

_" But at that precise moment a screech owl swooped in through the kitchen window. _("Uh-oh" said Sirius.) _Narrowly missing the top of Uncle Vernon's head, it soared across the kitchen, dropped the large parchment envelope it was carrying in its beak at Harry's feet, and turned gracefully, the tips of it's wings just brushing the top of the fridge, then zoomed outside again and off across the garden._

_" "OWLS!" bellowed Uncle Vernon, the well-worn vein in his temple pulsing angrily as he slammed the kitchen window shut. "OWLS AGAIN! I WILL NOT HAVE ANY MORE OWLS IN MY HOUSE!"_

_" But Harry was already ripping open the envelope and pulling out the letter inside, his heart pounding somewhere in the region of his Adam's apple._

"Oh no." said Remus.

"Ministry letter?" asked James.

Remus nodded.

" _Dear Mr., Potter,_

_" We have received intelligence that you performed the Patronus Charm at twenty-three minutes past nine this evening in a Muggle-inhabited area and in the presence of a Muggle._

_" The severity of this breach of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery has resulted in your expulsion from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Ministry representatives will be calling at your place of residence shortly to destroy your wand._

_" As you have already received an official warning for a previous offense under section 13 of the International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy, we regret to inform you that your presence is required at a disciplinary hearing at the Ministry of Magic at 9 A.M. on August 12th._

_" Hoping you are well, _

_" Yours sincerely,_

_" Mafalda Hopkirk (A/N Not sure if that's the name. I can't tell what their first name is.)_

_" Improper Use Of Magic Office_

_" Ministry of Magic"_

"Stupid Ministry." muttered James.

"I know Prongs." Sirius said sympathetically patting his friends shoulder. "Go on Remus. Maybe we'll get good knows. After all. Look how thick that book is."

" _Harry read the letter through twice. He was only vaguely aware of Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia talking in the vicinity. Inside his head, all was icy and numb, One fact had penetrated his consciousness like a paralyzing dart. He was expelled from Hogwarts. It was all over. He was never going back._

_" He looked up at the Dursleys. Uncle Vernon was purple-faced, shouting, his fists still raised; Aunt Petunia had her arms around Dudley, who was retching again._

_" Harry's temporarily stupefied brain seemed to reawaken. **Ministry representatives will be calling at your place of residence shortly to destroy your wand. **There was only one thing for it. He would have to run -- now. Where he was going to go, Harry didn't know, but he was certain of one thing: At Hogwarts or outside it, he needed his wand. In an almost dreamlike state, he pulled his wand out and turned to leave the kitchen._

_" "Where d'you think you're going?" yelled Uncle Vernon. when Harry didn't reply, he pounded across the kitchen to block the doorway into the hall. "I haven't finished with you boy!"_

_" "Get out of the way," said Harry quietly._

_" You're going to stay here and explain how my son --"_

_" "If you don't get out of the way I'm going to jinx you," said Harry, raising his wand._

_" "You can't pull that one on me!" snarled Uncle Vernon. "I know you're not allowed to use it outside that madhouse you call a school!"_

"I am insulted." said Sirius. "This is the Madhouse. Not Hogwarts."

Remus shook his head.

" _"The madhouse has chucked me out," said Harry. "So I can do whatever I like. You've got three seconds. One -- two -- "_

_" A resounding CRACK filled the kitchen; Aunt Petunia screamed, Uncle Vernon yelled and ducked, but for the third time that night Harry was staring for the source of a disturbance he had not made. He spotted it at once: A dazed and ruffled-looking barn owl was sitting outside on the kitchen sill, having just collided with the closed window._

_" Ignoring Uncle Vernon's anguished yell of "OWLS!" Harry crossed the room at a run and wrenched the window open again. The owl stuck out it's leg, to which a small roll of parchment was tied, shook its feathers, and took off the moment Harry had pulled off the letter. Hands shaking, Harry unfurled the second message, which was written very hastily and blotchy in black ink._

_" Harry --_

_" **Dumbledore's just arrived at the Ministry, and he's trying to sort it all out. **DO NOT LEAVE YOUR AUNT AND UNCLE'S HOUSE. DO NOT DO AND MORE MAGIC. DO NOT SURRENDER YOUR WAND._

_" Arthur Weasley._

"Arthur Weasley. He graduated a few years ago." said James.

"Yeah. Maybe he's looking after Harry." said Sirius.

"Let's find out. He was a good guy. I'm happy to know Arthur is looking after Harry." said James.

" _Dubledore was trying to sort it all out....What did that mean? How much power did Dumbledore have to override the Ministry of Magic? Was there a chance that he might be allowed back to Hogwarts, then? A small shoot of hope burgeoned in Harry's chest, almost immediately strangled by panic -- how was he suppose to refuse to surrender his wand without doing magic? He'd have to duel with the Ministry representatives, and if he did that, he'd be lucky to escape Azkaban, let alone expulsion._

_" His mind was racing... He could run for it and risk being captured by the Ministry, or stay put an wait for them to find him here. He was much more tempted by the former course, but he knew that Mr. Weasley had his best interests at heart... and , after all, Dumbledore had sorted out much worse than this before...._

_" "Right," Harry said, "I've changed my mind, I'm staying." _

_" He flung himself down at the kitchen table and faced Dudley and Aunt Petunia. The Dursleys appeared taken aback at his abrupt change of mind. Aunt Petunia glanced despairingly at Uncle Vernon. the vein in Uncle Vernon's purple temple was throbbing worse than ever._

_" "Who are all these ruddy owls from?" he growled._

_" "The first one was from the ministry of Magic, expelling me," said Harry calmly; he was straining his ears to catch noises outside in case the Ministry representatives were approaching, and it was easier and quieter to answer Uncle Vernon's questions than to have him start raging and bellowing, "The second one was from my friend Ron's dad, he works at the Ministry."_

_" "**Ministry of Magic**?" bellowed Uncle Vernon. "People like you in **government**? Oh this explains everything, everything, no wonder the country's going to the dogs...."_

_" When Harry did not respond, Uncle Vernon glared at him, then spat, "And Why have you been expelled?"_

_" "Because I did magic."_

_" "AHA!" roared Uncle Vernon, slamming his fist down on the top of the fridge, which sprang open; several of Dudley's low-fat snacks toppled out and burst on the floor. "So you admit it! **What did you do to Dudley**?"_

_" "Nothing," said Harry, slightly less calmly. "That wasn't me --"_

_" "**Was.**" muttered Dudley unexpectedly, and Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia instantly made flapping gestures at Harry to quiet him while they both bent low over Dudley._

_" "Go on, son," said Uncle Vernon, "what did he do?"_

_" "Tell us darling," whispered Aunt Petunia._

_" "Pointed his wand at me," Dudley mumbled._

_" "Yeah, I did, but I didn't use --" Harry began angrily, but..._

_" "SHUT UP" roared Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia in unison. "Go on, son," repeated Uncle Vernon, mustache blowing about furiously._

_"All dark," Dudley said hoarsely shuddering. "Everything dark. And then I h-heard... **things**. Inside m-my head..."_

"I wonder what he heard." said Remus. "You're suppose to hear your worst experiences of your life."

James and Sirius shrugged they evidently didn't care.

" _Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia exchanged looks of utter horror. If their least favorite thing in the world was magic, closely followed by neighbors who cheated more than they did on the hosepipe ban, people who heard voices were defiantly in the bottom ten. They obviously thought Dudley was losing him mind._

_" "What sort of things did you hear, popkin?" breathed Aunt Petunia, very white-faced and with tears in her eyes._

_" But Dudley seemed incapable of saying. He shuddered again and shook his large blond head, and despite the sense of numb dread that had settled on Harry since the arrival of the first owl, he felt a certain curiosity. Dementors caused a person to relive the worst moments of their life...What could spoiled, pampered, bullying Dudley have been forced to hear?_

"See? Harry is even wondering what Dudley could have heard." said Remus. "After all he's a spoiled, rotten, pig."

"Woah Remus!" Sirius cried. "Did you just say something mean about someone that is not a Slytherin?"

"Er..yes...maybe...I'm getting kinda hungry. Why don't we break before we continue?"

"Me too." said James. "But before we go how many pages are in that book?"

Remus flipped to the end of the book and gasped. "870!" he said.

"870!" cried Sirius. "That's a lot of reading. It'll take us forever to read the whole thing."

"Yeah. But we have to do it. Or die trying right Moony?"

Remus glared at him. "So you expect me to read the enter thing myself?"

"No!" said James laughing lightly. "Padfoot is going to help."

"Ahh! But Prongs we want to give you the honor of reading too." said Sirius grinning.

"Oh well." sighed James. "I suppose once the two of you got laryngitis I would have to read anyway."

"Let's not let that happen." I have read a chapter and a half I'll finish this chapter an we'll read two chapters each in turn."

"I volunteer Padfoot to go next."

"Fine. Can we go eat now?"

Well there's another chapter or half a chapter. Sorry it took so long. Hurricane Francis hit us down in south Georgia hard. My little sister got a six day weekend! I never got a six day weekend when I went to school mind you that was only five months ago.Hey my last chapter was updated on September first!

I know it's slow and the boys are not saying much right now but there's not much for them to comment on right now. Comments or suggestions are welcome. I like splitting up the chapters. It's much easier to type. I'll try to update part two's quicker. So it doesn't' t get confusing.

Oh yeah just for fun. Yawn!

SPECIAL NOTE: This chapter is dedicated to my best friend Heather. A.K.A. Nonya. I'm glad we're still friends. Miss you!


	4. A Peck of Owls Part 2

Dis: I do not own The Marauders they are JKR's. ( But imagine if I did own them!) _These _words are JKR's too. You know the ones that look like _this_.

Summery: James, Remus, and Ratboy... er... Peter are at Sirius' new flat when they find a mysterious book hidden under a floorboard. They begin to read it and find out that this is their future.

Thanks to all my reviewers

A/N: I'm really sorry it took so long to get this up. With all the storms we've been having in the southern U.S. I was unable to get on a computer for long and after that I just got lazy. (Author pops her hand.) I'm back and I am truly sorry it took so long.!

The Marauders and "The Order of the Phoenix"

Chapter Four: Chapter Two Part II

"Ooooookay!" said Sirius rubbing his hands together as he, James and Remus entered the bedroom after their lunch break. "Back to the story!"

Remus groaned and picked up the book and opened it to the place where he had marked that they had stopped. (And no he didn't fold the page down because that is book abuse and he would be in big trouble if he did that!)

"Wait!" cried James.

"What?" asked Sirius as James left the room and returned with two huge pillows.

"My arse was getting sore sitting on the floor like that. Here you go Padfoot. And Rem. you can keep your chair when we switch reading."

"Thanks."

_" "How come you fell over, son?" said Uncle Vernon in an unnaturally quiet voice, the kind he would adopt at the bedside of a very ill person._

_" "T-tripped," said Dudley shakily. "And then "_

_"He gestured at his massive chest. Harry understood: Dudley was remembering the clammy cold that filled the lungs as hope and happiness were sucked out of you._

_" "Horrible," croaked Dudley. "Cold. Really cold."_

_" "Okay," said Uncle Vernon in a voice of forced calm, while Aunt Petunia laid an anxious hand on Dudley's forehead to feel his temperature. "What happened then , Dudders?"_

_" "Felt...felt...felt...as if..as if..."_

_" "As if you'd never be happy again," Harry supplied dully."_

_" "Yes," Dudley whispered, still trembling._

_" "So," said Uncle Vernon, voice restored to full and considerable volume as he straightened up. "So you put some crackpot spell on my son so he'd hear voices and believe he was -- was doomed to misery or something, did you?"_

_" "How many times do I have to tell you?" said Harry, temper and voice rising together. "**It wasn't me!** It was a couple of dementors!"_

"That man's head must be really thick!" said Sirius.

"Yeah maybe we should do something about that." said James. Both boys grinned in an evil way that made Remus shudder.

"The two of you scare me sometimes." he said.

"Sorry Moony that's just how we were born. Well Sirius anyway..."

"Please refrain from saying anything about my family in my house." Sirius said stiffly and sticking his nose up in the air. "It is not a welcome conversation."

"Sorry Padfoot." said James. "Today may not be my day." he said with a sigh. "Two apologies in one day is too many."

Remus grinned. "I think it's good for you." and before James could reply he continued with the story.

_" "A couple of -- what's this codswallop?"_

_" "De - men - tors," said Harry slowly and clearly. "Two of them."_

James laughed. "Harry has his mothers temper."

"Yeah, Lily was never one to cross." said Sirius.

"We're...nevermind..." said Remus not wanting to start an argument.

_" "And what the ruddy hell are dementors?"_

_" "They guard the wizard prison, Azkaban," said Aunt Petunia. _(James, Sirius and Remus all gasped at the fact Petunia knew that.)

_Two seconds' ringing silence followed these words and then Aunt Petunia clapped her hand over her mouth as though she had let slip a disgusting swear word. Uncle Vernon was goggling at her. Harry's brain reeled. Mrs. Figg was one thing - but **Aunt Petunia**?_

_" "How d'you know that?" he asked her, astonished._

_" Aunt Petunia looked quite appalled with herself. She glanced at Uncle Vernon in fearful apology, then lowered her hand slightly to reveal her horsey teeth._

_" "I heard - that awful boy -"_

"I am insulted!" cried James.

"Well James you're not exactly a good, innocent, person are you?" said Remus.

"Moony has a point." said Sirius.

James glared at both of them.

"Ahem!" Remus said and went back to reading.

_" ...telling **her** about them - years ago." she said jerkily._

_" "If you mean my mum and dad, why don't you use their names?" _("You go Harry!" James cried.) _said harry loudly, but Aunt Petunia ignored him. She seemed horribly flustered._

_" Harry was stunned. Except for one outburst years ago, in the course of which Aunt Petunia had screamed that Harry's mother had been a freak, _("Why that..." James began but Remus raised his voice so James couldn't be heard.) _he had never heard her mention her sister. He was astounded that she had remembered this scrap of information about the magical world for so long, when she usually put all her energies into pretending it didn't exist._

_" Uncle Vernon opened his mouth, closed it again, opened it once more, shut it, then, apparently struggling to remember how to talk opened it for a third time and croaked. "So - so - they - er - they - er - they actually exist, do they - er - dementy-whatsits?"_

_" Aunt Petunia nodded._

_" Uncle Vernon looked from Aunt Petunia to Dudley to Harry as if hoping somebody was going to shout "April Fool!" When nobody did, he opened his mouth yet again, but was spared the struggle to find more words by the arrival of the third owl of the evening, which zoomed through the still-open window like a feathery cannonball and landed with a clatter on the kitchen table, causing all three of the Dursleys to jump with fright. Harry tore a second official-looking envelope from the owl's beak and ripped it open as the owl swooped back out into the night._

_" "Enough - effing - **owls**..." muttered Uncle Vernon distractedly, stomping over to the window and slamming it shut again._

_" Dear Mr. Potter,_

_" Further to our letter of approximately twenty-two minutes ago, the Ministry of Magic has revised its decision to destroy your wand forthwith. You may retain your wand until your disciplinary hearing on 12th August, at which time an official decision will be taken._

_" Following discussions with the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Ministry has agreed that the question of your expulsion will also be decided at that time. You should therefore consider yourself suspended from school pending further inquires._

_" With best wishes,_

_" Yours sincerely,_

_" Mafalda Hopkirk_

_" IMPROPER USE OF MAGIC OFFICE_

_" **Ministry of Magic**_

_Harry read this letter through three times in quick succession. The miserable knot in his chest loosened slightly at the thought that he was not defiantly expelled, though his fears were by no means banished. Everything seemed to hang on this hearing on the twelfth of August._

_" "Well?" said Uncle Vernon, recalling Harry to his surrounding. "What now? have they sentenced you to anything? Do your lot have a death penalty?" he added as a hopeful afterthought._

_" "I've got a hearing," said Harry._

_" "And they'll sentence you there?"_

_" "I suppose so."_

_" "I won't give up hope, then." said Uncle Vernon nastily._

"Why that..." James began again.

"Yes we know what he is James, just let me get on with the story." said Remus irritably.

_" "Well, if that's all," said Harry, getting to his feet. He was desperate to be alone, to think, perhaps send a letter to Ron, Hermione or Sirius._

_" "NO, IT RUDDY WELL IS NOT ALL!" bellowed Uncle Vernon. "SIT BACK DOWN!"_

_" "What **now**?" said Harry impatiently._

_" "DUDLEY!" roared Uncle Vernon. "I want to know exactly what happened to my son!"_

_" "FINE!" yelled Harry, and in his temper red and gold sparks shot out of the end of his wand, still clutched in his hand. All three Dursleys flinched, looking terrified._

_" "Dudley and I were in the alleyway between Magnolia Crescent and Wisteria Walk," said Harry, speaking fast, fighting to control his temper. "Dudley thought he's be smart with me, I pulled out my wand but didn't use it. then two dementors turned up -"_

_" "But what ARE dementoids? asked Uncle Vernon furiously. "What do they DO?"_

_" "I told you they suck all the happiness out of you," said Harry "and if they get the chance, they kiss you -"_

_" "Kiss you?" said Uncle Vernon, his eyes popping slightly. "Kiss you?"_

_" "It's what they call it when they suck the soul out of your mouth."_

_" Aunt Petunia uttered a soft scream._

_" "His **soul**? they didn't take - he's still got his -"_

_" She seized Dudley by the shoulders and shook him, as though testing to see weather she should hear his soul rattling around inside him._

_" "Of course they didn't get his soul, you'd know if they had," said Harry exasperated._

_" "Fought 'em off, did you, son?" said Uncle Vernon loudly, with the appearance of a man struggling to bring the conversation back onto a plane he understood,..."_

"Well then Harry would have to explain to him as if he were a baby." said Sirius. He and James began to laugh and Remus looked as if he were slightly amused at Sirius joke.

_" "Gave 'em the old one-two, did you?"_

_" "You can't give a dementor **the old one-two**," said Harry through clenched teeth._

_" "Why's he all right, then?" blustered Uncle Vernon. "Why isn't he all empty , then?"_

_"Because I used the Patronus --"_

_" WHOOSH. With a clattering, a whirring of wings, and a soft fall of dust, a fourth owl came shooting out of the kitchen fireplace. _

_" "FOR GOD'S SAKE!" roared Uncle Vernon, pulling great clumps of hair out of his mustache, something he hadn't been driven to in a long time. "I WILL NOT HAVE OWLS HERE, I WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS, I TELL YOU!"_

_" But Harry was already pulling a roll of parchment from the owl's leg. He was so convinced that this letter had to be from Dumbledore, explaining everything - the dementors, Mrs. Figg, what the Ministry was up to, how he , Dumbledore, intended to sort everything out - that for the first time in his life he was disappointed to see Sirius's handwrighting...."_

"Well," Sirius said indignantly. "I love you too Harry. Some way to show his godfather his concern for him!" he muttered.

"Harry is having a bad day...er...night." said Remus.

"I'm sure Harry is glad to hear from you Padfoot!" said James. He nodded to Remus.

_" Ignoring Uncle Vernon's ongoing rant about owls and narrowing his eyes against the second cloud of dust as the most recent owl took back off up the chimney, Harry read Sirius's message._

_" Arthur's just told us what's happened. Don't leave the house again, whatever you do. "_

"At least he knows you care about him enough to disaplin him about getting in trouble." said Remus.

"Me disaplin a child especially my godson!" Sirius said flabbergasted and a bit insulted Remus would suggest such a thing.

"He probably just wants to keep Harry from getting killed by anyone or... anything." said James.

Remus sighed. "I hope Harry's mother takes better care of him than the two of you would."

"He'll always have his Uncle Remus to take care of him." said James.

"Well at least I get to be an Uncle to Harry." muttered Remus.

"What was that Moony." asked Sirius.

"Er... Let's get back to the book."

_" Harry found this such and inadequate response to everything that had happened tonight that he turned the piece of parchment over, looking for the rest of the letter, but there was nothing there. _"

Remus gave Sirius a look of triumph! "Harry thought you were scolding him."

"Shut up Moony," said Sirius crossing his arms silently pledging to never get on to his godson _ever!_

_" And now his temper was rising again. Wasn't **anybody **going to say "well done" for fighting off two denentors single-handily? Both Mr. Wealsey and Sirius were acting as though he's misbehaved and they were saving their tellings-off until they could ascertain how much damage had been done._

_" " - a peck, I mean, a pack of owls shooting in and out of my house and I won't have it, boy, I won't -"_

_" "I can't stop them owls coming," Harry snapped, crushing Sirius's letter in his fist. _

Sirius pouted but Remus chose to continue reading so he wouldn't interrupt.

_" "I want the truth about what happened tonight!" barked Uncle Vernon. "If it was demenders who hurt Dudley, how come you've been expelled? You did you-know what, you've admitted it!"_

_" Harry took a deep, steadying breath. His head was beginning to ache again. He wanted more than anything to get out of the kitchen, away from the Dursleys._

_" "I did the Patronus Charm to get rid of the dementors," he said, forcing himself to remain calm. "It's the only thing that works against them."_

_" "But what were dementoids **doing** in Little Whinging?" said Uncle Vernon in tones of outrage._

_" "Couldn't tell you, " said Harry wearily. "No idea."_

_" His head was pounding in the glare of the strip lighting now. His anger was ebbing away. He felt drained, exhausted. The Dursleys were staring at him._

_" "It's you," said Uncle Vernon forcefully. "It's got something to do with you, boy, I know it. Why else would they turn up here? Why else would they be down that alleyway? You've got to be the only - the only -" Evidently he couldn't bring himself to say the word "wizard." "The only **you-know-what **for miles."_

_" "I don't know why they were here..."_

_" But at these words of Uncle Vernon's, Harry exhausted brain ground back into action. Why **had **the dementors come to Little Whinging? How **could** it be coincidence that they had arrived in the alleyway where Harry was? Had they been sent? Had the Ministry of Magic lost control of the dementors, had they deserted Azkaban and joined Voldemort, as Dumbledore had predicted they would?_

_" "These demimbers guard some weirdos' prison?" said Uncle Vernon, lumbering in the wake of Harry's train of thought._

_" "Yes," said Harry._

_" If only his head would stop hurting, if only he could just leave the kitchen and get to his dark bedroom and **think**... _

_" "Oho! They were coming to arrest you!..."_

"What!" the three Marauders shouted together.

"_MY_ son being arrested!" James shouted.

"Quite inconceivable!" said Remus. "I mean you and Sirius are _bad_ but never that bad." he said looking pointedly at Sirius. "And you being arrested was a big mistake."

"You're telling me." said Sirius in a huff. He crossed his arms again and began to mutter dark things about the Ministry.

_" ...said Uncle Vernon, with the triumphant air of a man reaching an unassailable conclusion. "That's it isn't it, boy? You're on the run from the law."_

_" "Of course I'm not," said Harry, shaking his head as though to scare off a fly, his mind racing now._

_" "Then why -?"_

_" "He must have sent them," said Harry quietly, more to himself than to Uncle Vernon._

_" "What's that? Who must have sent them?"_

_" "Lord Voldemort," said Harry. _

_" He registered dimly how strange it was that the Dursleys, who flinched, winced, and squawked if they heard words like "wizard," "magic," or "wand," could hear the name of the most evil wizard of all time without the slightest tremor._

_" "Lord - hang on," said Uncle Vernon, his face screwed up, a look of dawning comprehension in his piggy eyes. "I've heard that name ... that was the one who..."_

_" "Murdered my parents, yes." Harry said dully._

Remus stopped. He had finally confirmed their worst fear. James was dead.

"Oh James." said Sirius softly.

James was silent. He stared at Remus and the book. 'No it can't be I can't be dead. Oh Merlin no!'

"James? James? JAMES!" Sirius cried in vain trying to get James' attention.

'I have to change my future! But I mustn't let Remus know what I plan to do. He'll try to stop me." James thought.

Remus too was thinking. 'If James is dead and Sirius gets put in Azkaban that means I'll be alone with Peter and my only friend...' "AHHHHHHHH!" he yelled standing up and dashing out of the room. The book fell to the floor.

Sirius sat in shocked silence then stood up. "What's his problem?" he asked himself out loud.

"Let's go find out." said James.

Sirius jumped. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's just a book after all." James said standing up. "Let's go find Moony. He looked a bit crazed."

Sirius nodded.

They found Remus in a nearby bathroom splashing water on his face and muttering: "I can't be left with Peter!... No Peter!... Can't let in happen."

"It's okay Moony." said Sirius patting the werewolf on the back.

"Yeah it's just a book. We wouldn't leave you alone to face..." James broke off not wanting to stress his friend even more.

"Just... a... book?" Remus repeated wide eyed.

"Yeah." said Sirius helping Remus back to the bedroom. "Let me go ahead and begin reading. This chapter is almost at an end." Sirius sat Remus, who was still wide eyed, back in his chair and picked up the book. "Are you sure you're okay Prongs." he asked before he began to read.

James smiled and nodded but the back of his mind was still shocked.

_" "But he's gone," said Uncle Vernon impatiently, without the slightest sign that the murderer of Harry's parents..." _Sirius paused and looked up at James. James was wearing an unreadable expression. _" .... might be a painful topic to anybody. "That giant bloke said so. He's gone."_

"Giant bloke?" asked Sirius.

"Probably Hagrid." said Remus sort of dreamily. (BECAUSE HE WAS IN A DAZE PEOPLE! THE WEREWOLF AND HALF GIANT ARE NOT GAY! At least not in this story. I have nothing against gay people or those who write those kind of fics. I myself have done so I.E. "Blue" and "Afton".)

"Er...yeah right." said Sirius.

_" "He's back," said Harry heavily._

_" It felt strange to be standing here in Aunt Petunia's surgically clean kitchen, beside the top-of-the-range fridge and the wide-screen television, and talking calmly of Lord Voldemort to Uncle Vernon. The arrival of dementors in Little Whinging seemed to have caused a breach in the great, invisible wall that divided the relentlessly non-magical world of Privet Drive and the world beyond. Harry's two lives had somehow become fused together and everything had been turned upside down: The Dursleys were asking for details about the magical world and Mrs. Figg knew Albus Dumbledore; dementors were soaring around Little Whinging and he might never go back to Hogwarts. Harry's head throbbed more painfully._

_" "Back?" whispered Aunt Petunia._

_" She was looking at Harry as she had never looked at him before. And all of a sudden, for the very first time in his life, Harry fully appreciated that Aunt Petunia was his mothers sister. He could not have said why this hit him so very powerfully at this moment. All he knew was that he was not the only person in the room who has an inkling of what Lord Voldemort being back might mean. Aunt Petunia had never in her life looked at him like that before. Her large, pale eyes (so unlike her sister's) were not narrowed in dislike or anger: They were wide and fearful. The furious pretense that Aunt Petunia has maintained all Harry's life - that there was no magic and no world other than the world she inhabited with Uncle Vernon - seemed to have fallen away._

_" "Yes," Harry said, talking directly to Aunt Petunia now. "He came back a month ago. I saw him."_

_" Her hands found Dudley's massive leather-clad shoulders and clutched them._

_" "Hang on," said Uncle Vernon, looking from his wife to Harry and back again, apparently dazed and confused by the unprecedented understanding that seemed to have sprung up between them. "Hang on. This Lord Voldything's back you say?"_

Sirius sniggered at this. "Let's keep calling him that. What do you guys say." he asked desperately trying to get them back into the swing of things.

"Sounds cool Padfoot." said James.

Remus continued to look hysteric. 'Peter!...Left alone with...Peter...He's such a .... tag-along. It would get so annoying....I all ready have to do most of his homework for him...'

"Rem.?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah." Remus replied.

_" "Yes."_

_" "The one who murdered your parents."_

_" "Yes."_

_" "And now he's sending dismembers after you?"_

_" "Looks like it," said Harry._

_" "I see," said Uncle Vernon, looking from his white-faced wife to Harry and hitching up his trousers. He seemed to be swelling, his great purple face stretching before Harry's eyes. "Well, that settles it," he said, his shirt front straining as he inflated himself, "**you can get out of this house, boy**!"_

"What!" cried James. "Where will he go?"

"Calm down James. Harry will be find." said Sirius. 'Great I'm turning into Moony. He doesn't look like himself right now anyway.'

_" "What?" said Harry_

_" "You heard me - OUT!" Uncle Vernon bellowed, and even Aunt Petunia and Dudley jumped. "OUT! OUT! I should've done it years ago! Owls treating the place like a rest home, puddings exploding, half the lounge destroyed, Dudley's tail, Marge bobbing around on the ceiling, and that flying Ford Anglia - OUT! OUT! You've had it! Your history! You're not staying here if some loony's after you, you're not endangering my wife and son, you're not bringing trouble down on us, if you're going the same way as your useless parents, I've had it! OUT!"_

Sirius looked up. James seemed to have ignored the comment about him being useless.

_" Harry stood rooted to the spot. The letters from the Ministry, Mr. Weasley, and Sirius were crushed in his left hand. **Don't leave the house again whatever you do. **DO NOT LEAVE YOUR AUNT AND UNCLE'S HOUSE._

_" "You heard me!" said Uncle Vernon, bending forward now, so that his massive purple face came closer to Harry's, so that Harry actually felt flecks of spit hit his face. "Get going! You were all keen to leave half an hour ago! I'm right behind you! Get out and never darken our doorstep again! Why we ever kept you in the first place I don't know, Marge was right, it should have been the orphanage, we were too damn soft for our own good, thought we could squash it out of you, thought we could turn you normal, but you've been rotten from the beginning, and I've had enough - OWLS!"_

_" The fifth owl zoomed down the chimney so fast it actually hit the floor before zooming into the air again with a loud screech. Harry raised his hand to seize the letter, which was in a scarlet envelope, but it soured straight over his head, flying directly at Aunt Petunia, who let out a scream and ducked, her arms over her face. The owl dropped the red envelope on her head, turned, and flew straight up the chimney again._

_" Harry darted forward to pick up the letter, but Aunt Petunia beat him to it._

_" "You can open it if you like," said Harry "but I'll hear what it says anyway. That's a Howler."_

_" "Let go of it, Petunia!" roared Uncle Vernon. "Don't touch it, it could be dangerous!"_

_" "It's addressed to me," said Aunt Petunia in a shaking voice. "It's addressed to **me**. Vernon look! **Mrs. Petunia Dursley, The Kitchen, Number Four, Privet Drive **- "_

_" She caught her breath, horrified. The red envelope had begun to smoke._

_" "Open it!" Harry urged her. "Get it over with! It'll happen anyway -"_

_" "No -"_

_" Aunt Petunia's hand was trembling. She looked wildly around the kitchen as though looking for an escape route, but too late - the envelope burst into flames. Aunt Petunia screamed and dropped it._

_" An awful voice filled the kitchen, echoing in the confide space, issuing from the burning letter on the table._

_" "REMEMBER MY LAST, PETUNIA." _

_" Aunt Petunia looked as though she might faint. She sank down the chair beside Dudley, her face in her hands. The remains of the envelope smoldered into ash in the silence._

_" "What is this?" Uncle Vernon said hoarsely. "What - I don't - Petunia?"_

_" Aunt Petunia said nothing. Dudley was staring stupidly at his mother, his mouth hanging open. The silence spiraled horribly. Harry was watching his aunt, utterly bewildered, his head throbbing fit to burst._

_" "Petunia, dear?" said Uncle Vernon timidly. "P - Petunia?"_

_" She raised her head. She was still trembling. She swallowed._

_" "The boy - the boy will have to stay, Vernon," she said weakly._

_" "W - what?"_

_" "He stays," she said. She was not looking at Harry. She got to her feet again._

_" "He... but Petunia..."_

_" "If we throw him out, the neighbors will talk," she said. She was regaining her usual brisk, snappish manner rapidly, though she was still very pale. "They'll ask awkward questions, they'll want to know where he's gone. We'll have to keep him."_

_" Uncle Vernon was deflating like an old tire._

_" "But Petunia, dear - "_

_" Aunt Petunia ignored him. She turned to Harry._

_" "You're to stay in your room," she said. "You're not to leave the house. Now go to bed."_

_" Harry didn't move._

_" "Who was that Howler from?"_

_" "Don't ask questions," Aunt Petunia snapped._

_" "Are you in touch with wizards?"_

_" "I told you to get to bed!"_

_" "What did you mean? Remember the last what?"_

_" "Go to bed!"_

_" "How come - ?"_

_" "YOU HEARD YOUR AUNT, NOW GET TO BED!"_

"That's chapter two." said Sirius.

"Well, it was very informative." said James.

"Er.." Sirius began.

"Remus!" James shouted in the werewolf's ear.

Remus jumped. "What?"

"Don't worry mate." said James. "We won't leave you alone with Peter."

"How'd..."

"You were muttering about it since we got back." said James.

"Did you even hear the rest of the chapter?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah."

"Come on we all need a good meal and a nice long rest." said James. "We'll continue the book tomorrow."


	5. The Advance Guard

Dis: I do not own The Marauders they are JKR's. ( But imagine if I did own them!) _These _words are JKR's too. You know the ones that look like _this_.

Summery: James, Remus, and Ratboy... er... Peter are at Sirius' new flat when they find a mysterious book hidden under a floorboard. They begin to read it and find out that this is their future.

Thanks to all my reviewers. You have now made this my most popular story!

A/N: This chapter is an entire chapter due to the fact that my phones are down after the hurricane came through and at the time I was unable to get on the Internet.

The Marauders and "The Order of the Phoenix"

Chapter Five: Chapter Three Part I

"Who knew we would forget the full moon was last night?" James asked.

Sirius shrugged and yawned. "It all turned out." he said.

"Hey Moony!" James said cheerfully entering Remus' bedroom.

Remus lie on the bed weak and worn out. Last night was a painful transformation because he had been stressed. They all had a long day yesterday and an even longer night.

At dinner the previous night they had just agreed to keep reading no matter what happened. Just as they got up to go to bed when Remus bent over double. It was a full moon. James and Sirius transformed and got Remus out and away from the house just in time.

"Hey!" Remus said dully.

"It's a good thing Sirius is reading today." said James still as cheerful as before.

Remus didn't respond.

"Well er..." said Sirius picking up the book. "Let's get started then shall we?"

Remus again made no reply. Sirius took that as a "Yes."

_" The Advance Guard..._

_" **I've just been attacked by dementors and I might be expelled from Hogwarts. I want to know what's going on and when I'm going to get out of here.**_

_"_ _Harry copied these words onto three separate pieces of parchment the moment he reached the desk in his dark bedroom. He addressed the first to Sirius, the second to Ron, and the third to Hermione. His owl, Hedwig, was off hunting; her cage stood empty on the desk. harry paced the bedroom waiting for her to come back, his head pounded, his brain too busy for sleep even though his eyes stung and itched with tiredness. His back ached from carrying Dudley home, and the two lumps on his head where the window and Dudley had hit him were throbbing painfully._

_" Up and down he paced, consumed with anger and frustration, grinding his teeth and clenching his fists, casting angry looks out at the empty, star-strewn sky every time he passed the window. Dementors sent to get him, Mrs. Figg and Mundungus Fletcher tailing him in secret, than suspension from Hogwarts and a hearing at the Ministry of Magic - and **still** no one was telling him what was going on. _

_" And what, **what**, had that Howler been about? Whose voice had echoed so horribly, so menacingly, through the kitchen?_

_" Why was he still trapped here without information? Why was everyone treating him like some naughty kid? **Don't do any more magic, stay in the house....**_

_" He kicked his school trunk as he passed it, but far from relieving his anger his anger he felt worse, as he now had a sharp pain in his toe to deal with in addition to the pain in the rest of his body._

_" Just as he limped past the window, Hedwig soared through it with a soft rustle of wings like a small ghost._

_" "About time!" Harry snarled, as she landed lightly on top of her cage. "You can put that down, I've got work for you!"_

"Harry, that is mistreatment of animals." James said shaking his head.

"If I recall correctly, you did the same thing to you owl only a few weeks ago." said Sirius.

"Oh yeah."

_" Hedwig's large round amber eyes gazed reproachfully at him over the dead frog clamped in her beak._

_" "Come here," said Harry, picking up the three small rolls of parchment and a leather throng and tying the scrolls to her scaly leg. "Take these straight to Sirius, Ron and Hermione and don't come back here without good long replies. Keep pecking them till they've written decent-length answers if you've got to. Understand?"_

_" Hedwig gave a muffled hooting noise, beak still full of frog._

_" "Get going, then." said Harry._

_" She took off immediately. The moment she'd gone, Harry threw himself down onto his bed without undressing and stared at the dark ceiling. In addition to every other miserable feeling, he now felt guilty that he'd been irritable with Hedwig; _("Well at least her feels guilty." said James. "Unlike you." said Remus.) _she was the only friend he had at number four, Privet Drive. But he'd make it up to her when she came back with Sirius's, Ron'''s and Hermione's answers._

_" They were bound to write back quickly; they couldn't possibly ignore a dementor attack. He'd probably wake up tomorrow to three fat letters full of sympathy and plans for his immediate removal to the Burrow. And with that comforting idea, sleep rolled over him, stifling all further thought._

_" But Hedwig didn't return next morning. Harry spent the day in his bedroom, leaving only to go to the bathroom. Three times that day Aunt Petunia shoved food into his room through the cat flap Uncle Vernon had installed three summers ago. Every time harry heard her approaching he tried to question her about the Howler, but her might as well have interrogated the doorknob for all the answers he got. Otherwise the Dursleys kept well clear of his bedroom. Harry couldn't see the point of forcing his company on them; another row would achieve nothing except perhaps making him so angry he'd perform more illegal magic._

_" So it went for three whole days. Harry was filled alternately with restless energy that made him unable to settle to anything, during which he paced his bedroom again, furious at the whole lot of them for leaving him to stew in this mess, and with a lethargy so complete that he could lie on his bed for an hour at a time, staring dazedly into space, aching with dread at the thought of the Ministry hearing._

_" What if they ruled against him? What if he **was ** expelled and his wand was snapped in half? What would he do, where would he go? He could not return to living full-time with the Dursleys, not now that he knew the other world, to one to which he belonged. ...Was it possible that he might be able to move into Sirius's house,..."_

"YES!" shouted Sirius dropping the book and running about. "I've got to clean up! Harry's coming to live with me!"

"Sirius calm down. That won't happen for another fifteen-twenty years from now." said James.

"Oh...Right...plenty of time then." said Sirius sitting down and picking the book back up. "Where was I? Oh yes...

_" ...as Sirius had suggested a year ago, before he had been forced to flee from the Ministry himself? Would he be allowed to live there alone, given that he was underage? Or would the matter of where he went next be decided for him; had his breach of the International Statute of Secrecy been sever enough to land him a cell in Azkaban? Whenever this thought occurred, Harry invariably slid off his bed and began pacing again._

_" On the fourth night after Hedwig's departure Harry was lying in one of his apathetic phases, staring at the ceiling, his exhausted mind quite blank, when his uncle entered his bedroom. Harry looked slowly around at him. Uncle Vernon was wearing his best suit and an expression of enormous smugness._

_" "We're going out," he said._

_" "Sorry?"_

_" "We - that is to say, your aunt, Dudley, and I - are going out."_

_" "Fine," said Harry dully, looking back at the ceiling._

_" "You are not to leave your bedroom while we are away."_

_" "Okay."_

_" "You are not to touch the television, the stereo, or any of our possessions."_

_" "Okay."_

_" "You are not to steal food from the fridge."_

_" "Okay."_

_" "I am going to lock your door."_

_" "You do that."_

"Sheesh! Harry really is in a bad mood." said Sirius before going on.

_" Uncle Vernon glared at Harry, clearly suspicious of his lack of argument, then stomped out of the room and closed the door behind him. Harry heard the key turn in the lock and Uncle Vernon's footsteps walking heavily down the stairs. A few minutes later he heard the slamming of car doors, the rumble of an engine, and the unmistakable sound of the car sweeping out of the drive._

_" Harry had no particular feeling about the Dursleys leaving. It made no difference to him whether they were in the house or not He could not even summon the energy to get up and turn on his bedroom light. the room grew steadily darker around him as he lay listening to the night sounds through the window he kept open all the time, waiting for the blessed moment when Hedwig returned._

_" The empty house creaked around him. The pipes gurgled. Harry lay there in a kind of stupor, thinking nothing, suspended in misery._

_" And then, quite distinctly, he heard a crash in the kitchen below._

"Great. Somebody else is in the house with him." James said.

_" He sat bolt upright, listening intently. the Dursleys couldn't be back, it was much too soon, an in any case he hadn't heard their car._

_" There was silence for a few seconds, and then he heard voices._

_" **Burglars**, he thought, sliding off the bed onto his feet - but a split second later it occurred to him that the burglars would keep their voiced down, and whoever was moving around in the kitchen was certainly not troubling to do so.._

_" He snatched up his wand from his bedside table and stood facing his bedroom door, listening with all his might Next moment he jumped as the lock gave a loud click and his door swung open._

_" Harry stood motionless, staring through the open door at the dark upstairs landing, straining his ears for further sounds, but none came. He hesitated for a moment and then moved swiftly and silently out of his room to the head of the stairs. _

_" His heart shot upward into his throat. There were people standing in the shadowy hall below, silhouetted against the streetlight glowing through the glass door; eight or nine of them, all, as far as he could see, looking up at him,_

_" "Lower your wand, boy, before you take somebody's eye out," said a low, growling voice._

_" Harry's heart was thumping uncontrollably. He knew that voice but he did not lower his wand._

_" "Professor Moody?" he said uncertainly._

"Moody? Alastor Moody?" asked Remus.

"Dunno?" said Sirius.

_" "I don't know so much about 'Professor,' " growled the voice, "never got round to much teaching, did I? Get down here, we want to see you properly."_

_" Harry lowered his wand slightly but did not relax hi s grip on it, nor did he move. He had very good reason to be suspicious. He had recently spent nine months in what he had thought was Mad-Eye Moody's..."_

"Mad-Eye?" James asked "Why did he call him that?"

"We could read and find out." said Sirius irritably.

"Now you know how I felt." said Remus. He was now sitting up and leaning against a pile of only to find out that it wasn't Moody at all, but an impostor; an impostor, moreover, who had tried to kill Harry before being unmasked. But before he could make a decision about what to do next, a second slightly hoarse voice floated upstairs.

_" "It's all right, Harry. We've come to take you away."_

_" Harry's heart leapt. He knew that voice too, though he hadn't heard if for more than a year. "_

Sirius stopped. James and Remus watched as a slow smile crept across Sirius' face.

"What!" Remus cried.

Sirius began to laugh. "I should have known." he said through gales of laugher.

"Should have known what?" James and Remus cried.

"Give...me a ... moment." said Sirius. "To catch... my breath..."

James and Remus sat glaring at Sirius as he laughed himself silly. Once he sat up and looked at them but fell back down laughing again. He couldn't do anything, much less read, for about ten minutes. He kept looking up and laughing. Finally when he was overcome with hiccups he stopped.

"Water." he gasped.

Slowly and deliberately James got up and went downstairs and got Sirius a glass of water. When he returned Sirius gulped it down and got rid of the annoying hiccups.

"Okay, Okay. I'm sorry." he said.

"So go on." James said.

_" "P - Professor..." _Sirius paused for a dramatic effect. _" "...Lupin?"_

The room was silent. Sirius was grinning at Remus and James just stared.

"Wh...What?" asked Remus he fell over off the bed.

"Professor Lupin." said Sirius rather proudly.

"I'll be a Professor...wait I'm alive!" Remus said jumping up. "I'm ALIVE! Sorry James." he added. "But I'm ALIVE!" Remus did a little dance. (Which I think is rather cute. LOVE Remus!)

Sirius was laughing again. James slowly began laughing too. It was amusing to watch Remus do his dance. 'And,' James thought secretly 'I'm kind of glad that Remus knows Harry. Too bad I'm dead or at least I think I am. It's not confirmed...yet.'

"Okay Remus. Let's finish this chapter before lunch." said Sirius.

"Go ahead." Remus said sitting back down on the bed grinning from ear to ear.

_"....he said disbelievingly. "Is that you?"_

_" "Why are we all standing in the dark?" said a third voice, this one completely unfamiliar, a woman's. "**Lumos.**"_

_" A wand tip flared, illuminating the hall with magical light. Harry blinked. The people below were crowded around the foot of the stairs, gazing intently up at him, some craning their heads for a better look._

_" Remus Lupin stood nearest to him. Though still quite young, Lupin looked tired and rather ill; he had more gray hair..."_

"Ga! Gray hair. Damn those transformations!"

_" ...than when Harry has said good-bye to him, and his robes were more patched and shabbier than ever. _("Because he refuses to accept my help!" said Sirius. Remus blushed.) _Nevertheless, he was smiling broadly at Harry, who tried to smile back through his shock._

_" "Oooh, he looks just like I thought he would," said the witch who_ _was holding her lit wand aloft. She looked the youngest there; she had a pale heart shaped face, dark twinkling eyes, and short spiky hair that was a violent shade of violet. "Wotcher, Harry!"_

_" "Yeah, I see what you mean, Remus," said a bald black wizard standing farthest back; he had a deep, slow voice and wore a single gold hoop in his ear. "He looks exactly like..." _Sirius paused, gulped, then read on _"...James."_

"Oh Merlin he is my son!" James cried.

"James remember what we talked about." Sirius said sternly.

James took a deep breath. "Okay. I'm better."

_" "Except the eyes," said a wheezy-voiced, silver haired wizard at the back. "Lily's eyes."_

"Lily!" James said in a whisper. "Lily Evans is MINE!" James jumped up and did his own dance. "I died with Lily Evans as my wife! YES!" James sat back down."Go on Padfoot."

Shaking his head Sirius began to read again.

_" Mad-Eye Moody, who had long grizzled gray hair and a large chunk missing from his nose, was squinting suspiciously at Harry through his mismatched eyes. One of the eyes was small , dark, and beady, the other large, round, and electric blue - the magical eye that could see through walls, doors, and the back of Moody's own head._

_" "Are you quite sure it's him, Lupin?" he growled. "It'd be a nice lookout if we bring back some Death Eater impersonating him. We ought to ask him something only the real Potter would know. Unless anyone brought any Veritaserum?"_

_" "Harry, what form does your Patronus take?" asked Lupin._

"That makes it sound like you taught him the Patronus Charm! Thanks Moony!" James cried hugging the werewolf's legs, the only part of Remus he could reach from the floor.

_" "A stag," said Harry nervously._

_" "That's him, Mad-Eye." said Lupin._

_" Harry descended the stairs, very conscious of everybody still staring at him, stowing his wand into the back pocket of his jeans as he came._

_" "Don't put your wand there, boy!" roared Moody. "What if it ignited? Better wizards than you have lost buttocks, you know!"_

"Cool!" James and Sirius cried. Remus just rolled his eyes.

_" "Who d'you know_ _who's lost a buttock?" the violet-haired woman asked Mad-Eye interestedly._

_" "Never you mind, you just keep your wand out of your back pocket!" growled Mad-Eye. "Elementary wand safety, nobody bothers about it anymore...." He stumped off toward the kitchen. "And I saw that," he added irritably, as the woman rolled her eyes at the ceiling._

_" Lupin held out his hand and shook Harry's._

"You shook hug hand!" James said indignantly. "You're suppose to embrace him like an uncle."

_" "How are you?" he asked, looking at Harry closely._

"At least you care about him."

_" "F-Fine..."_

_" Harry could hardly believe this was real. Four weeks with nothing, not the tiniest hint of a plan to remove him from Privet Drive, and suddenly a whole bunch of wizards was standing matter-of-factly in the house as though this were a long-standing arrangement. He glanced at the people surrounding Lupin; they were still gazing avidly at him. He felt conscious of the fact that he had not combed his hair for four days._

_" "I'm - you're really lucky the Dursleys are out..." he mumbled._

_" "Lucky, ha!" said the violet-haired woman. "It was me that lured them out of the way. Sent a letter by Muggle post telling them they'd been short-listed for the All-England Best-Kept Suburban Lawn Competition. They're heading off to the prize-giving right now....Or they think they are." _

_" Harry had a fleeting vision of Uncle Vernon's face when he realized there was no All-England Best-Kept Suburban Lawn Competition._

_" "We are leaving, aren't we?" he asked. "Soon?"_

_" "Almost at once," said Lupin, "we're just waiting for the all-clear."_

_" "Where are we going? The Burrow?" Harry asked hopefully._

_" "Not the Burrow, no," said Lupin, motioning Harry toward the kitchen; the little knot of wizards followed, all still eyeing Harry curiously, "Too risky. We set up headquarters somewhere undetectable. It's taken a while...."_

_" Mad-Eye Moody was now sitting at the kitchen table sitting from a hip flask, his magical eye spinning in all directions, taking in the Dursley's many labor-saving appliances._

_" "This is Alastor Moody, Harry," Lupin continued, pointing toward Moody._

"Don't you know it's not nice to point, Moony!" Sirius said.

_" "Yeah, I know," Harry said uncomfortably; it felt odd to be introduced to somebody he'd thought he'd known for a year._

_" "And this is..." _Sirius gasped. _" "Nymphadora -"_

_" "**Don't **call me Nymphadora, Remus," said the young witch with a shudder. "It's Tonks."_

"AHHHHHH!" cried Sirius. "Nymphadora! My cousin Nymphadora!"

"She has short violet hair?" asked James. "I thought her hair was brown."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "She's a Metamorphmagi. I just found out a few weeks ago."

"Cool!" said James.

_" " -- Nymphadora Tonks, who prefers to be known by her surname only," finished Lupin._

_" "So would you if your fool of a mother had called you 'Nymphadora' " muttered Tonks._

Sirius looked insulted. "I like the name. Andromida picked a wonderful name. Ted didn't like it at first...."

"Padfoot you're rambling. Keep reading." said Remus.

_" "And this is Kingsly Shacklebolt" - he indicated the tall black wizard, who bowed - "Elphias Doge" - the wheezy-voiced wizard nodded - "Deadalus Diggle - "_

_" "We've met before," squeaked the excitable Diggle, dropping his top hat._

_" " - Emmeline Vance" - a stately looking witch in an emerald-green shawl inclined her head - "Sturgis Podmore" - a square-jawed wizard with thick, straw-colored hair winked - "and Hestia Jones." A pink cheeked, black-haired witch waved from next to the toaster._

_" Harry inclined his head awkwardly at each of them as they were introduced. He wished they would look at something other than him; it was as though he had suddenly been ushered onstage. He also wondered why so many of them were there._

_" "A suprising number of people volunteered to come and get you," said Lupin, as though he had read Harry's mind; the corners of his mouth twitched slightly._

"He always does that when he's not telling the whole truth." said James.

"Do not." said Remus

"Look you're doing it again." said James.

_" "Yeah, well, the more the better," said Moody darkly. "We're your guard, Potter."_

_" "We're just waiting for the signal to tell us it's safe to set off," said Lupin, glancing out of the kitchen window. "We've got about fifteen minuets."_

_" "Very **clean**, aren't they, these Muggles?" said the witch called Tonks, who was looking around the kitchen with great interest. "My dad's Muggle-born and he's a right old slob. I suppose it varies, just like with wizards?"_

_" "Er - yeah," said Harry. "Look" - he turned back to Lupin - "what's going on, I haven't heard anything from anyone, what's Vol -?"_

_" Several of the witches and wizards made odd hissing noises; Dedalus Diggle dropped his hat again, and Moody growled, "**Shut up**!"_

_" "What?" said Harry._

_" "We're not discussing anything here, it's too risky," said Moody, turning his normal eye on Harry; his magical eye remained pointing up at the ceiling. "**Damn it**," he added angrily, putting a hand up to the magical eye, "it keeps sticking - ever since that scum wore it - "_

_" And with a nasty squelching sound much like a plunger being pulled from a sink, he popped out his eye._

_" "Mad-Eye, you do know that's disgusting, don't you?" said Tonks conversationally._

_" "Get me a glass of water, would you Harry?" asked Moody._

_" Harry crossed to the dishwasher, took out a clean glass, and filled it with water at the sink, still watched eagerly by the band of wizards. Their relentless staring was starting to annoy him._

_" "Cheers," said Moody, when Harry handed him the glass. He dropped the magical eyeball into the water and prodded it up and down' the eye whizzed around, staring at them all in turn. "I want three-hundred-and-sixty degrees visibility on the return journey."_

_" "How're we getting - wherever we're going?" Harry asked._

_" "Brooms," said Lupin. "Only way, You're too young to Apparate, they'll be watching the Floo Network, and it's more than our life's worth to set up an unauthorized Portkey."_

_" "Remus says you're a good flier," said Kingsly Shacklebolt in his deep voice._

_" "He's excellent,"_

"That's my boy!"

"Shut up James." said Sirius.

_" ...said Lupin, who was checking his watch. "Anyway, you'd better go and get packed, Harry, we want to be ready to go when the signal comes."_

_" "I'll come and help you," said Tonks brightly._

_" She followed Harry back into the hall and up the stairs, looking around with much curiosity and interest._

_" "Funny place," she said, "it's a bit **too** clean, d'you know what I mean? Bit unnatural. Oh, this is better," she added, as they entered Harry's bedroom and he turned on the light._

_" His room was certainly much messier than the rest of the house. Confined to it for four days in a very bad mood, Harry had not bothered tidying up after himself. Most of the books he owned were strewn over the floor where he'd tried to distract himself with each in turn and thrown it aside. Hedwig's cage needed cleaning out and was starting to smell, and his trunk lay open, revealing a jumbled mixture of Muggle clothes and wizards robes that had spilled onto the floor around it._

_" Harry started picking up books and throwing them hastily into his trunk. Tonks paused his open wardrobe to look critically at her reflection in the mirror on the inside of the door. _("She is so vain. I guess she'll never grow out of it.)

_" "You know, I don't think purple's really my color," she said pensively, tugging at a lock of spiky hair, "D'you think it makes me look a bit peaky?"_

_" "Er -" said Harry, looking up at her over the top of Quidditch** Teams of Britain and Ireland.** _

_" "Yeah, it does," said Tonks decisively. She screwed up her eyes in a strained expression as though she were struggling to remember something. A second later, her hair turned bubble-gum pink._

_" "How did you do that?" said Harry, gaping at her as she opened her eyes again._

_" "I''m a Metamorphmagus," she said, looking back at her reflection and turning her head so that she could see her hair from all directions. "It means I can change my appearance at will," she added, spotting Harry's puzzled expression in the mirror behind her. "I was born one. I got top marks in Concealment and Disguise during Auror..."_

"Bloody Hell! She's an Auror!" Sirius screamed.

"So?" said Remus.

"But she's such a clutz!"

"So?" said James.

"..."

_" "...training without any study at all, it was great."_

_" "You're and Auror?" said Harry, impressed. Being a Dark wizard catcher was the only career he's ever considered after Hogwarts._

"Good choice Harry." said Remus.

"Yeah. Just like his dad." said James.

_" "Yeah," said Tonks, looking proud. "Kingsley is as well; he's a bit higher up than I am, though. I only qualified a year ago. Nearly failed on Stealth and Tracking, _("Why am I not suprised" said Sirius.) _I'm dead clumsy, did you hear me break that plate when we arrived downstairs?"_

_" "Can you learn to be a Metamorhpmagus?" Harry asked her, straightening up, completely forgetting about packing._

_" Tonks chuckled._

_" "Bet you wouldn't mind hiding that scar sometimes, eh?"_

_" Her eyes found the lightening-shaped scar on Harry's forehead._

_" "No I wouldn't mind," Harry mumbled, turning away. He did not like people staring at his scar._

_" "Well, you'll have to learn the hard way, I'm afraid," said Tonks. "Metamorphmagi are really rare, they're born, not made. Most wizards need to use a wand or potions to change their appearance.... But we've got to get going, Harry, we're supposed to be packing," she added guiltily, looking around at all the mess on the floor._

_" "Oh - yeah," said Harry, grabbing a few more books._

_" "Don't be stupid, it'll be much quicker if I - **pack**!" cried Tonks, waving her wand in a long, sweeping movement over the floor._

_" Books, clothes, telescope, and scales all soared into the air and flew pell-mell into the trunk._

_" "It's not very neat," said Tonks, walking over to the trunk and looking down at the jumble inside. "My mum's got this knack of getting stuff to fit itself in neatly - she even gets the socks to fold themselves - but I've never mastered how she does it - it's a kind of flick - "_

_" She flicked her wand hopefully; one of Harry's socks gave a feeble sort of wiggle and flopped back on top of the miss within._

_" "Ah, well," said Tonks, slamming the trunk's lid shut, "At least it's all in. That could do with a bit of cleaning too - **Scourgify** - " She pointed her wand at Hedwig's cage; a few t feathers and droppings vanished. "Well, that's a **bit** better - I've never quite got the hang of these sort of housholdy spells. Right - got everything? Cauldron? Broom? Wow! A **Firebolt**!"_

"What's a Firebolt." asked James.

"A broom. Sounds fast." said Sirius.

"Sounds expensive."

_" Her eyes widened as they fell on the broomstick in Harry's right hand. It was his pride and joy, a gift from Sirius_, (Sirius grinned.) _an international standard broomstick._

_" "And I'm still riding a Comet Two Sixty," said Tonks enviously. "Ah well... wand still in your jeans. Both buttocks still on? Okay, let's go. **Locomotor Trunk**."_

_" Harry's trunk rose a few inches into the air. Holding her wand like a conductor's baton, Tonks made it hover across the room and out of the door ahead of them, Hedwig's cage in her left hand. Harry followed her down the stairs caring his broomstick._

_" Back in the kitchen, Moody had replaced his eye, which was spinning so fact after it's cleaning it made Harry feel sick. Kingsley Shackelbolt and Sturgis Podmore were examining the microwave and Hestia Jones was laughing at a potato peeler she come across while rummaging in the drawers. Lupin was sealing a letter addressed to the Dursleys._

_" "Excellent," said Lupin, looking up as Tonks and Harry entered. "We've got about a minute, I think. We should probably get out into the garden so we're ready. harry, I've left a letter telling your aunt and uncle not to worry -"_

_" "They won't," said Harry._

_" "That you're safe -"_

_" "That'll just depress them."_

_" " - and you'll see them next summer."_

_" "Do I have to?"_

_" Lupin smiled but made no answer._

"You know, Remus, you and Harry make a good comic team. That was pretty funny... on Harry's part at least."

Remus rolled his eyes.

_" "Come here, boy," said Moody gruffly, beckoning Harry toward him with his wand. "I need to Disillusion you."_

_" "You need to what?" said Harry nervously._

_" "Disillusionment Charm," said Moody, raising his wand. "Lupin says you've got an Invisibility Cloak,..."_

James grinned. "My Invisibility Cloak."

_" "...but it won't stay on while we're flying; this'll disguise you better. Here you go - "_

_" He rapped Harry hard on the top of the head and Harry felt a curious sensation as though Moody had just smashed an egg there; cold trickles seemed to be running down his body from the point the wand had struck._

_" 'Nice one, Mad-Eye," said Tonks appreciatively, staring at Harry's midriff._

_" Harry looked down at his body, or rather what had been his body for it didn't look anything like his anymore. It was not invisible; it had simply taken on the exact color and texture of the kitchen unit behind him. He seemed to have become a human chameleon._

_" "Come on," said Moody, unlocking the back door with his wand._

_" They all stepped outside onto Uncle Vernon's beautifully kept lawn._

_" "Clear night," grunted Moody, his magical eye scanning the heavens. "Could've done with a bit more cloud cover. Right, you," he barked at Harry, "we're going to be flying in close formation. Tonks'll be right in front of you, keep close on her tail. Lupin'll be covering you from below. I'm going to be behind you. The rest'll be circling us. We don't break ranks for anything, got me? If one of us is killed -"_

"He's a cheerful bloke." said James sarcastically.

_" "Is that likely?" Harry asked apprehensively, but Moody ignored him._

_" " - the others keep flying, don't stop, don't break ranks. If they take out all of us and you survive, Harry, the rear guard are standing by to take over; keep flying east and they'll join you."_

_" "Stop being so cheerful, Mad-Eye, he's think we're not taking this seriously," said Tonks, as she strapped Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage into a harness hanging from her broom._

_" "I'm just telling the boy the plan," growled Moody. "Our job's to deliver him safely to headquarters and if we die in the attempt -"_

_" "No one's going to die," said Kingsley Shacklebolt in his deep calming voice._

_" "Mount your brooms, that's the first signal!" said Lupin sharply, pointing into the sky._

_" Far, far above them, a shower of bright red sparks had flared among the stars. harry recognized them at once as wand sparks. he swung his right leg over his Firebolt, gripped it's handle tightly, and felt it vibrating very slightly, as though it was as keen as he was to be up in the air once more._

_" "Second signal, let's go!" said Lupin loudly, as more sparks, green this time, exploded high above them._

_" Harry kicked off hard from the ground. The cool night air rushed through his hair as the neat square gardens of Privet Drive fell away, shrinking rapidly into a patchwork of dark greens and blacks, and every thought of the Ministry hearing was swept from his mind as though the rush of air had blown it out of his head. He felt as though his heart was going to explode with pleasure; he was flying again, flying away from Privet Drive as he'd been fantasizing about all summer, he was going home... For a few glorious moments, all his problems seemed to recede into nothing, insignificant in the vast, starry night._

_" "Hard left, hard left, there's a Muggle looking up! shouted Moody from behind him. Tonks swerved and Harry followed her, watching his trunk swinging wildly beneath her broom. "We need more height. ...Give it another quarter mile!"_

_" Harry's eyes watered in the chill as they soared upward; he could see nothing below now but tiny pinpricks of light that were car headlights and streetlamps. Two of those tiny lights might belong to Uncle Vernon's car... The Dursleys would be heading back to their empty house right now, full of rage about the nonexistent lawn competition...and Harry laughed aloud at the thought, though his voice was drowned by the flapping of the others' robes, the creaking of the harness holding his trunk and the cage, the **whoosh** of the wind in their ears as they sped through the air. He had not felt this alive in a month or this happy..._

"Poor kid." muttered James.

_" "Bearing south!" shouted Mad-Eye. "Town ahead!"_

_" They soared right, so that they did not pass directly over the glittering spiderweb of lights below._

_" "Bear southwest and keep climbing, there's some low cloud ahead we can lose ourselves in!" called Moody._

_" "We're not going through clouds!" shouted Tonks angrily. "We'll get soaked, Mad-Eye!"_

_" Harry was relieved to hear her say this; his hands were growing numb on the Friebolt's handle. he wished he had thought to put on a coat; he was starting to shiver._

_" They alternated their course every now an then according to Mad-Eye's instructions. Harry's eyes were screwed up against the rush of icy wind that was starting to make his ears ache. He could remember being this cold on a broom only once before, during a Quddditch match against Hufflepuff in his third year, which had taken place in a storm. The guard around him was circling continuously like giant birds of prey. Harry lost track of time. He wondered how long they had been flying; it felt like an hour at least._

_" "Turning southwest!" yelled Moody. "We want to avoid the motorway!"_

_" Harry was now so chilled that he thought longingly for a moment of the snug, dry interiors of the cars streaming along below, then, even more longingly, of traveling by Floo powder; it might be uncomfortable to spin around in fireplaces but it was at least warm in the flames. ...Kingsley Shacklebolt swooped around him, bald pate and earring gleaming slightly in the moonlight....Now Emmeline Vance was on his right, her wand out, her head turning left and right...then she too swooped over him, to be replaced by Sturgis Podmore...._

_" "We ought to double back for a bit, just to make sure we're not being followed!" Moody shouted._

_" "ARE YOU MAD, MAD-EYE?" Tonks screamed from the front. "We're all frozen to our brooms! If we keep going off course we're not going to get there until next week! We're nearly there now!"_

_" "Time to start the decent!" came Lupin's voice. "Follow Tonks, Harry!"_

_" Harry followed Tonks into a dive. They were heading for the largest collection of lights he had yet seen, a huge, sprawling, crisscrossing mass, glittering in lines and grids, intercepting with patches of deepest black. Lower and lower they flew, until Harry could see individual headlights and streetlamps. chimneys, and television aerials. He wanted to reach the ground very much, though he felt sure that someone would have to unfreeze him from his broom._

_" "Here we go!" called Tonks, a few seconds later she had landed. _

_" Harry touched down right behind her and dismounted..."_

"So he didn't have to be unfrozen from his broom." said James.

"Why did you make a comment on that?" asked Remus.

"I hadn't said anything in a while so I had to say something." said James smirking.

_" ...on a patch of unkempt grass in the middle of a small square. Tonks was already unbuckling Harry's trunk. shivering Harry looked around. The grimy fronts of the surrounding houses were not welcoming; some of them had broken windows, glimmering dully in the light from the streetlamps, paint was peeling from many of the doors, and heaps of rubbish lay outside several sets of front steps._

_" "Where are we?" Harry asked, but Lupin said quietly, "In a minute."_

_" Moody was rummaging in his cloak, his gnarled hands clumsy with cold_

_" "Got it," he muttered, raising what looked like a silver cigarette lighter into the air and clicking it._

_" The nearest streetlamp went out with a pop. He clicked the unlighted again; the next lamp went out. he kept clicking until every lamp in the square was extinguished and the only light in the square came from curtained windows and the sickle moon overhead._

_" "Borrowed it from Dumbledore," growled Moody, pocketing the Put-Outer. "That'll take care of any Muggles looking out of the window, see? Now, come on, quick."_

_" He took Harry by the arm and led him from the patch of grass across the road, and onto the pavement. Lupin and Tonks followed carrying Harry's trunk between them, the rest of the guard, all with their wands out, flanked them._

_" The muffeled pounding of a stereo was coming from an upper window in the nearest house. A pungent smell of rotting rubbish came from the pile of bulging bin-bags just inside the broken gate._

_" "Here," said Moody muttering, thrusting a piece of parchment toward Harry's Disillusioned hand and holding his lit wand close to it, so as it illuminate the writhing. "Read it quickly and memorize."_

_" Harry looked down at the piece of paper. The narrow handwrighting was vaguely familiar. It said:_

_" **The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve,...** _("NO!" screamed Sirius) _**Grimmauld Place, London. **"_

"No not there anywhere but there!" Sirius yelled. "I hate that place."

"Man, your old home." said James looking at Sirius with sympathy. "That has to really...that's bad."

"The headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix is in my parents home." moaned Sirius. "Any you!" he pointed to Remus dramatically. "You're taking my godson there!"

Remus rolled his eyes. "You're probably there you know."

"No way I'm not going back there." said Sirius. "I'd rather go Azkaban than there...well no not really....I guess it wouldn't be that bad if my parents don't live there anymore and if Regulas has moved out... It might be a nice place to stay..."

"Really?" James asked unbelieving.

"No." Sirius said pointedly. "I would not, could not go back there."

"Who cares." said Remus. "I'm starving we didn't have any breakfast."

"Hey! You're right. We'll read some more tomorrow. We need food and rest."

"Okay, let's go to Diagon Alley for lunch." said Sirius. "I'm too tired to cook today."

"I'm paying...NO Moony you are not going to pay." said James standing up but falling back down on the floor.

Sirius and Remus burst out laughing.

"What? My leg's asleep..." James said indignantly.

Yeah!!!! Another chapter. I'm glad you guys like it so much! Just pray that no more hurricanes come through and that I'll not get lazy again. Oh and just for fun YAWN! laughs hysterically

NOTE: This was posted the day after the full moon. Yep that was last night here. Harvest Moon too. I was staying up all night anyway so I figured I'd do the entire chapter since my phones were out all day yesterday.


	6. Number Twelve Grimmauld Place

Dis: I do not own The Marauders they are JKR's. ( But imagine if I did own them!) _These _words are JKR's too. You know the ones that look like _this_.

Summery: James, Remus, and Ratboy... er... Peter are at Sirius' new flat when they find a mysterious book hidden under a floorboard. They begin to read it and find out that this is their future.

Thanks to all my reviewers. You have now made this my most popular story!

A/N: THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THOSE WHO ARE FANS OF THIS FIC. Okay let me explain. I have been lazy! I admit it I could have typed this up and had my friend upload it for me and I didn't but, and you'll love this, I just started collage this week. I have all morning classes so I have plenty of time in the afternoon to type and post. It will be one half chapter or chapter per week maybe two. I go to my friend's house every afternoon during the week so Friday will be my update day. Thank you for being patient and please stick with me on this. OotP is my least favorite of the series and it is hard for me to read it. I am currently rereading it for the 3rd and 4th time (The time I read when I type). Thanks again!

DON'T FORGET "HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE" July 16th.

The Marauders and "The Order of the Phoenix"

Chapter Six: Chapter Four

"Now that's better." said Remus sitting back down in his chair.

"Yep! Nothin' like a good bit of rest and some food to revive your spirit. Right Padfoot?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah whatever." Sirius replied reading over the next chapter a bit.

"Hey! Don't get ahead of us." James said pouting. "It's not fair."

"Sorry, Prongs. Are we all ready?"

"As ready as we'll ever be." said Remus.

"I hope we have no surprises today." said James narrowing his eyes at the book.

"You can say that again." said Remus.

"I would if I could but I can't so I won't."

"Okay..." said Sirius beginning to read.

_" Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place..." _Sirius gave another involuntary shudder.

_" "What's the Order of the - ?" Harry began._

_" "Not here, boy!"_

"You'd better believe it. That place is overflowing with thieves and villains." hissed Sirius. "My parents included."

_" ...snarled Moody. "Wait till we're inside!"_

"Can't be any worse. If my parents are not there Kreacher will be!"

_" ...He pulled the piece of parchment out of Harry's hand and set fire to it with his wand tip. As the message curled into flames and floated to the ground, Harry looked around at the houses again. they were standing outside number eleven; he looked to the left and saw number ten; to the right however, was number thirteen. "_

"You know your family should have lived in number thirteen since it's such an unlucky number." James commented.

"Hello! That would have been unlucky for me too." said Sirius rapping James on the head sharply.

_" "But where's -?"_

_" "Think about what you've just memorized," said Lupin quietly._

"You seem to be the only one there with a head on your shoulders." said Sirius.

Remus snorted. "I always am."

_" Harry thought, and no sooner had he reached the part about number twelve, Grimmauld Place, than a battered soon emerged out of nowhere between numbers eleven and thirteen, followed swiftly by dirty walls and grimy windows. _

"Damn it appeared."

"It sounds like an...I don't know..." began James.

"It sounds like a place where I would not want to live." said Remus.

"Precicly." said Sirius. "And that is why you are in this magnificent little humble abode."

"Can't say the same for the owner." muttered Remus.

"What was that, Moony?"

"Nothing!"

_" ...It was as though an extra house has inflated, pushing those on either side out of it's way. Harry gaped at it. The stereo in number eleven thudded on. Apparently the Muggles inside hadn't even felt anything._

_" "Come on, hurry," growled Moody, prodding Harry in the back._

_" Harry walked in the worn stone steps,"_

"Don't it's a trap!" James cried. "They're leading you into a trap."

"Don't be silly, James." said Sirius. "Moony's with them."

"Remus is evil!"

"I resent that." Remus said indignantly.

"Sorry. Lost my head for a second there." said James.

"You can say that again," muttered Sirius.

_" ...staring at the newly materialized door. It's black paint..._

"Well dugh. Who lives there?" said James.

"Black is an ugly color for a house," said Sirius. "White is typical house color."

_" ...was shabby..."_

"Because I wasn't there to paint it every other summer." said Sirius. "Hmm, this is a painting summer. Ha! I don't have to paint this year."

"Good for you now keep reading." said Remus.

_" ...and scratched. The silver door knocker was in the form of a twisted serpent. There was no keyhole or letterbox._

_" Lupin pulled out his wand and tapped the door once..._

"Hey! You're breaking into my house... My parents house... Why?"

"Keep reading and find out." Remus said icily

_" Harry heard many loud, metallic clicks and what sounded like the clatter of a chain. The door creaked open._

_" Get in quick, Harry," Lupin whispered. "But don't go far inside and don't touch anything." _

"Good advice. I was always afraid the door knocker would bite me. Who knows what could get you on the inside.

_" Harry stepped over the threshold into the almost total darkness of the hall._

"Always a creepy place to be.

_" ...He could smell damp, dust, and a sweetish, rotting smell; the place had the feeling of a derelict building. He looked over his shoulder and saw the others filing in behind him, Lupin and Tonks carrying his trunk and Hedwig's cage._

"Remus why do you spend so much time with my little cousin?" Sirius asked suspiciously.

"Why do you care?" Remus retorted.

"Because she's my baby cousin."

"I have a girlfriend." said Remus.

"Yeah well she's mine too."

"Shut up and read."

_" Moody was standing on the top step and releasing the balls of light the Put-Outer had stolen..._

"Not stolen... borrowed without permission." James commented. ( Wink PotC )

_" ...from the streetlamps; they flew back to their bulbs and the square beyond glowed momentarily with orange light before Moody limped inside and closed the front door, so that the darkness in the hall became complete._

_" "Here - "_

_" He rapped Harry hard over the head with his wand; Harry felt as though something hot was trickling down his back this time he knew the Disillusionment Charm must have lifted._

_" "Now stay still everyone, while I give us a bit of light in here," Moody whispered._

_" The others' hushed voices were giving Harry an odd feeling of foreboding; it was as though they had just entered the house of a dying person...._

"That's the feeling I have always had! It's as if the house is death itself!"

"That is creepy!" replied James.

"He's just saying it to keep me from going in." said Remus.

_" He heard a soft hissing noise and then old-fashioned gas lamps sputtered into life all along the walls, casting a flickering insubstantial light over the peeling wallpaper and threadbare carpet of a long, gloomy hallway, where a cobwebby chandelier glimmered overhead and age-blackened portraits hung crooked on the walls. Harry heard something scuttling behind the baseboard. Both the chandelier and the candelabra on a rickety table nearby were shaped like serpents..."_

"Well, sounds cozy." said James.

Sirius laughed. "Cozy. Right." he said bitterly.

_" There were hurried footsteps and Ron's mother, Mrs. Weasley, emerged from a door at the far end of the hall. She was beaming in welcome as she hurried toward them, though Harry noticed that she was rather thinner and paler than she had been last time he had seen her._

_" "Oh Harry, it's lovely to see you!" she whispered, pulling him into a rib-cracking hug before holding him at arm's length and examining him critically. "You're looking peaky; you need feeding up, but you'll have to wait a bit for dinner, I'm afraid...."_

"At least someone is looking out for Harry's health." said James.

"Hey mate we're doing what we can." said Sirius. "A murderer and a werewolf aren't invited to afternoon tea very often."

He and the other two Marauders began laughing.

"I'll be sure to invite you two to tea every single day after school is over." said James.

"Good, I now know I'll get at least one good meal a day." said Sirius.

_" She turned to the gang of wizards behind him and whispered urgently, "He's just arrived, the meeting's started..."_

_" The wizards behind Harry all made noises of interest and excitement..."_

"Must mean Padfoot's just arrived eh Padfoot?" James said thumping Sirius on the back.

_"....and began filing past Harry toward the door through which Mrs. Weasley had just come; Harry made to follow Lupin, _

"Well, you are a major impact on his life if he's willing to follow you somewhere in there." said Sirius said. "I wouldn't follow myself in there."

"I believe that would be difficult Padfoot." said James.

Remus just huffed. (Very wolvish don't you think?)

_"...but Mrs. Weasley held him back._

_" "No, Harry, the meeting's only for members of the Order..."_

"When he's born I'll make sure that he's attended an Order meeting so he can say "But Mrs. Weasley I've already been to one." " James said.

"Do you honestly think that will work?" Remus asked rolling his eyes.

"Couldn't hurt to try." said James with a shrug.

_" "...Ron and Hermione are upstairs, you can wait with them until the meeting's over and then we'll have dinner. And keep your voice down in the hall," she added in and urgent whisper._

"Why?" James asked.

_" "Why?"_

"Like father like son." said Sirius.

_" "I don't want to wake anything up."_

Sirius shuddered.

"EEEEEEWWW! You have living things in your house." James cried.

"James, people are living things." Remus said exaspertedly. "You are a living thing!"

"Oh." James grinned.

_" "What d'you - ?"_

_" "I'll explain later, I've got to hurry, I'm suppose to be at the meeting - I'll just show you where you're sleeping."_

_" Pressing her finger to her lips, she led him on tiptoes past a pair of long, moth-eaten curtains,..._

"I don't remember those being there." said Sirius.

"Wonder what's behind them" stated Remus.

"Nothing good." said Sirius.

_" ...behind which Harry supposed there must be another door, and after skirting a large umbrella stand that looked as though it had been made from a severed troll's leg.,.._

"Ahh yes the old umbrella stand." Sirius said with a sigh. "I remember the time I enchanted it to walk around the house stomping on Kreacher." Sirius laughed aloud.

"Are you sure you don't belong in that family." Remus asked.

"Quite sure." said Sirius.

_" ...they started up the dark staircase, passing a row of shrunken heads mounted on plaques on the wall. "_

"Er... Sirius what are those?" James asked nervously.

"House-elves." said Sirius simply. "Tradition!" he shrugged before continuing to read.

_" ...A closer look showed Harry that the heads belonged to house-elves. All of them had the same rather snoutlike nose._

"Yep. That's defiantly Kreacher's family." Sirius said in a false cheerful voice.

_" Harry's bewilderment deepened with every step he took. What on earth were they doing in a house that looked as though it belonged to the Darkest of Wizards._

"Wow. How'd he know?"

"Probably read it in a book." said James.

"Or he just figured it out by looking at the stuff in the house. How many good wizards have serpent door knockers, chandelier, and candelabra."

"Good point Moony." said James. "I hate it when he's right." he muttered to Sirius.

"He's always right." Sirius muttered back.

_" "Mrs. Weasley, why - ?"_

_" "Ron and Hermione will explain everything, dear, I've really got to dash," Mrs. Weasley whispered distractedly. "There" - they had reached the second landing - "you're the door on the right. I'll call you when it's over."_

_" And she hurried off downstairs again._

_" Harry crossed the dingy landing, turned the bedroom doorknob, which was shaped..."_

"Let me guess." Remus said. "Like a Serpent?"

_" ...like a serpent's head,..."_

"Nope. You were wrong Rem."

"Technically he's right." said Sirius.

Remus smirked at James.

_" and opened the door._

_" He caught a brief glimpse of a gloomy high-ceilinged, twin-bedded room, then there was a loud twittering noise, followed by an even louder shriek, and his vision was completely obscured by a large quantity of very bushy hair - Hermione had thrown herself onto him in a hug that nearly knocked him flat,_

"So she is his girlfriend." said Sirius.

"You don't know that for sure." said James. "Stop jumping to conclusions."

"Sorry."

_" ...while Ron's tiny owl, Pigwidgeon,"_

"Pigwidgeon? What a stupid name!" Remus said.

"I think it's sweet." said James.

Remus and Sirius rolled their eyes at each other.

_" ...zoomed excitedly round and round their heads._

_" "HARRY! Ron, he's here, Harry's here! We didn't hear you arrive! Oh, how **are** you? Are you all right? Have you been furious with us?_

"Furious. That's putting it lightly." snorted Sirius.

_" "...I bet you have, I know our letters were useless - but we couldn't tell you anything, Dumbledore made us swear we wouldn't, oh, we've got so much to tell you, and you've got to tell us - the demeanors! When we heard - and that Ministry hearing - it's just outrageous, I've looked it all up, they can't expel you, they just can't, there's provision in the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Sorcery for the use of magic in life-threatening situations --"_

_" "Let him breathe, Hermione,"_

"Take a breath yourself." said James. "Geeze! She talks too much."

_" ...said Ron, grinning, closing the door behind Harry. He seemed to have grown several more inches during their month apart, making him taller and more gangly looking than ever, though the long nose, bright red hair, and freckles were the same._

"The kid sounds funny looking to me." said Sirius.

"You shouldn't judge." said Remus.

"Are you saying I'm funny lookin' Rem?"

Remus thought for a second. "Yes Padfoot I am."

"Oh okay then."

_" Hermione, still beaming, let go of Harry, but before she could say another word there was a soft whooshing sound and something white soared from the top of a dark wardrobe and landed gently on Harry's shoulder._

_" "Headwig!"_

"Yeah! The owl's back!" James cried.

"So?"

"I like the owl."

_" The snowy owl clicked her beak and nibbled his ear affectionately as Harry stroked her feathers._

_" "She's been in a right state," said Ron. "Pecked us halt to death when she brought your last letters, look at this - "_

_" He showed Harry the index finger of his right hand, which sported a half-healed but clearly deep cut,_

_" "Oh yeah," Harry said. "Sorry about that, but I wanted answers, you know..."_

_" "We wanted to give them to you, mate," said Ron. "Hermione was going spare, she kept saying you'd do something stupid if you were stuck all on your own without news, but Dumbledore made us - "_

_" " - swear not to tell me," said Harry. "Yeah, Hermione's already said."_

"Harry sounds a bit miffed." James said thoughtfully.

"That's putting it lightly." said Remus.

_" The warm glow that had flared inside him at the sight of his two best friends was extinguished as something icy flooded the pit of his stomach. All of a sudden - after yearning to see them for a solid month - he felt he would rather Ron and Hermione left him alone._

"Can't he make up his mind?" asked Sirius.

"Can you eat an entire storeful of chocolate?" James asked.

"What!"

"Just curious." James replied with a shrug.

"I'm surrounded by idiots." Remus muttered.

"But we're cool idiots." James said.

_" There was a strained silence in which Harry stroked Hedwig automatically, not looking at either of his friends._

_" "He seemed to think it was best," Hermione rather breathlessly. "Dumbledore, I mean."_

_" "Right," said Harry. He noticed that her hands too bore the marks of Hedwig's beak and found that he was not at all sorry._

"Damn Harry! You are a bitter young man." Sirius said.

"Probably because of the death of his wonderful parents." said James mournfully.

"There's than big head blowing up again." Remus warned.

"Hey!"

_" "I think he thought you were safest with the Muggles - " Ron began._

_" "Yeah?" said Harry, raising his eyebrows. "Have either of you been attacked by dementors this summer?"_

"He has a point." said James.

_" "Well, no - but that's why he's had people from the Order of the Phoenix tailing you all the time - "_

"Ouch! That's gonna hit a nerve." Remus said mimicking a flinch.

_" Harry felt a great jolt in his guts as though he had just missed a step going downstairs. So everyone had known he was being followed except him._

_" "Didn't work that well did it?" said Harry, doing his utmost to keep his voice even. "Had to look after myself after all, didn't I?"_

"He's gonna pop." said Remus knowingly.

"Sounds like Lily." James said grinning.

"At least he didn't have your attitude about it." said Remus. "You'd be bragging and puffing your chest out..."

"Got it Rem. Shut up!"

_" "he was so angry," said Hermione in an almost awestruck voice. "Dumbledore. We saw him. When he found out Mundungus had left before his shift had ended. He was scary."_

"An angry Dumbledore." mused James. "Have I seen that before?"

"Only every week." said Remus.

"Oh yeah." said Sirius. He looked thoughtful for a second then returned to the book.

_" "Well I'm glad he left," Harry said coldly. "If he hadn't, I wouldn't have done magic and Dumbledore would probably have left me at Privet Drive all summer."_

_" "Aren't you.... aren't you worried about the Ministry of Magic hearing?" said Hermione quietly._

"Hearing! He had better be worried." James cried indignantly.

_" "No," Harry lied defiantly._

"Well at least we know he _is_ worried." said Remus.

_" He walked away from them, looking around, with Hedwig nestled contentedly on his shoulder, but this room was not likely to raise his spirits. It was dank and dark. A blank stretch of canvas in an ornate picture frame was all that relieved the bareness of the peeling walls and as Harry passed it he thought he heard someone lurking out of sight snigger. _

"That is extremely unnerving." said James. "To have a portrait hide and watch you from the borders of the frame."

"Sounds like my great great grandfather's room."

_" "So why's Dumbledore been so keen to keep me in the dark?" Harry asked, still trying hard to keep his voice casual. "Did you - er - bother to ask him at all?"_

_" He glanced up just in time to see them exchanging a look that told him he was behaving just as they had feared he would. It did nothing to improve his temper. "_

"That's never good." said James.

_" "We told Dumbledore we wanted to tell you what was going on," said Ron. "We did, mate. but he's really busy now, we've only seen him twice since we came here and he didn't have much time, he just made us swear not to tell you important stuff when we wrote, he said the owls might be intercepted - "_

"That's not like Dumbledore at all." said Remus, his brow furrowed in thought.

"I don't like this Dumbledore." said James. "I think he's an impostor and the real Dumbledore is locked away in a dungeon."

"Don't over exaggerate, Prongs." Remus said lightly. "Your head can't take all the pressure from your new thoughts."

"Are you saying I have a small brain?" asked James.

"Spot on." replied Remus.

"Oh okay. Use smaller words." James said grinning at his friend jokingly.

_" "He could still've kept me informed if he'd wanted to," Harry said shortly. "You're not telling me he doesn't know ways to send messages without owls."_

_" Hermione glanced at Ron and then said, "I thought that too. but he didn't want you to know **anything**."_

"Ouch!" said Sirius wincing. "He's going to be ticked off about that."

"I would too." said James. "Harry deserves to know anything dealing with himself."

"Prongs, maybe you should listen to Moony and just not think anymore today."

_" "Maybe he thinks I can't be trusted,"_

"Don't be thick!" said James indignantly.

_" ...said Harry, watching their expressions _

_" "Don't be thick!"_

"Are you sure you are no good at Divination, Jamie?"

"Positive." said James smartly. He paused and scowled at Sirius. "And don't call me Jamie. Or Jamsie Boy. Or Jim. Or Jamie-poo...." James said naming off dozens of different nicknames.

Meanwhile Sirius began reading again ignoring the angered Anamagus.

_" ...said Ron, looking highly disconcerted._

_" "Or that I can't take care of myself -" _

_" "Of course he doesn't think that!" said Hermione anxiously._

_" "So how come I have to stay at the Dursleys' while you two get to join in everything that's going on here?" said Harry, the words tumbled over one another in a rush, his voice growing louder with every word. "How come you two are allowed to know everything that's going on - ?"_

_" "We're not!" Ron interrupted. "Mum won't let us near the meetings, she says we're too young - "_

"Ugh-oh." said Sirius.

"What?" Remus and James asked eagerly.

"Harry's about to explode."

"This is going to be good." James said rubbing his hand's together and grinning. "Evens' is always a good show when she got really angry."

_" But before he knew it, Harry was shouting._

_" "SO YOU HAVEN'T BEEN IN THE MEETINGS, BIG DEAL! YOU'VE STILL BEEN TOGETHER! ME, I'VE BEEN STUCK AT THE DURSLEY'S FOR A MONTH! AND I'VE HANDLED MORE THAN YOU TWO'VE EVER MANAGED AND DUMBLEDORE KNOWS IT - WHO SAVED THE SORCERER'S STONE? WHO GOT RID OF RIDDLE? WHO SAVED BOTH YOUR SKINS FROM THE DEMENTORS?"_

"Yep! That is a true Evans temper." said James as Sirius paused to catch his breath.

"Bloody hell that boy can yell."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "When have you heard him yell?"

"Moony, you have no imagination."

_" Every bitter and resentful thought that Harry had had in the past month was pouring out of him; his frustration at the lack of news, the hurt that they had all been together without him, his fury at being followed and not told about it: All the feelings he was half-ashamed of finally burst their boundaries. Hedwig took fright at the noise and soared off on top of the wardrobe again;Pigwidgeon twittered in alarm and zoomed even faster around their heads._

"I would hate to have on owl like that." said Sirius. "If I ever got one I'd have to give it away to someone."

"I still like Hedwig." James said grinning. "She's Harry's owl."

Sirius and Remus rolled their eyes at one another."

_" "WHO HAD TO GET PAST DRAGONS AND SPHINXES AND EVERY OTHER FOUL THING LAST YEAR? WHO SAW HIM COME BACK? WHO HAD TO ESCAPE FROM HIM? ME!"_

"Poor kid. How old did it say he was again?" asked James.

Sirius paused and flipped back and looked. "Fifteen."

"That's too much for one teenager." said Remus.

"Ahh! Remember he's a Potter. Potter's are good at almost everything."

"There goes that big head of yours again." said Sirius.

_" Ron was standing there with his mouth half-open,clearly stunned and at a loss for anything to say, while Hermione was on the verge of tears._

_" "BUT WHY SHOULD I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON? WHY SHOULD ANYONE TELL ME WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING?"_

"Yeah answer that!" said James getting carried away.

Remus and Sirius stared at him.

"What?" James asked sheepishly. "Get on with the story."

_" "Harry, we wanted to tell you, we really did - " Hermione began._

_" "CAN'T'VE WANTED TO THAT MUCH, CAN YOU, OR YOU'D HAVE SENT ME AND OWL, BUT **DUMBLEDORE MADE YOU SWEAR **- "_

_" "Well he did -"_

_" "FOUR WEEKS I'VE BEEN STUCK IN PRIVET DRIVE, NICKING PAPERS OUT OF BINS TO TRY AND FIND OUT WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON - "_

"Is he done yet?" Remus asked. "You're hurting my ears with all your shouting Padfoot."

"Er...Almost."

_" "We wanted to - "_

_" "I SUPPOSE YOU'VE BEEN HAVING A REAL LAUGH HAVEN'T YOU, ALL HOLED UP HERE TOGETHER - "_

"Now he's done... for now." said Sirius.

"Good." Remus said rubbing his ears.

_" "No honest - "_

_" "Harry, we're really sorry!" said Hermione desperately, her eyes now sparkling with tears. "You're absolutely right, Harry - I'd be furious if it were me!"_

_" Harry glared at her, still breathing deeply, then turned away from them again, "_

"Again let me note an Evans trait." said James.

"You won't interrupt as much when _you_ are reading will you." said Sirius with a glare.

"Er... maybe."

Sirius scowled and continued to read.

_" "...pacing up and down. Hedwig hooted glumly from the top of the wardrobe. There was a long pause, broken only by the mournful creak of the floorboards below Harry's feet._

_" "What **is** this place anyway?" he shot at Ron and Hermione._

"Hell on earth that's what it is." said Sirius with a huge fake smile.

_" "Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix," said Ron at once._

_" "Is anyone going to bother telling me what the Order of the Phoenix - ?"_

"It's a secret society formed by the Headmaster. Members are being recruited to help in the fight against the Dark Lord." said Remus.

"Know-It-All." muttered Sirius.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!"

_" "It's a secret society,"_

"And what about your Divination skills Moony?" asked James.

"I don't do Divination." Remus said stiffly.

_" ...Hermione said quickly. "Dumbledore's in charge, he founded it. It's the people who fought against You-Know-Who last time,"_

_" "Who's in it?" said Harry, coming to a halt with his hands in his pockets._

_" "Quite a few people - "_

"Well dugh!" said Sirius.

_" " - we've met about twenty of them," said Ron, "but we think there are more...."_

_" Harry glared at them. _

"Well we know he can hold a grudge like his father." said Remus.

James batted his eyes innocently.

_" "**Well**?" he demanded, looking from one to the other._

"He's also demanding like his father." said Remus grinning.

_" "Er," said Ron, "Well what?"_

_" "**Voldemort!**" said Harry furiously, and both Ron and Hermione winced. "What's happening? What's he up to? Where is he. What are we doing to stop him?"_

_" "We've **told** you, the Order don't let us in on their meetings," said Hermione nervously. "So we don't know the details - but we've got a general idea - " she added hastily, seeing the look on Harry's face._

"Why didn't they tell him before?:" asked James.

"He didn't give them a chance." said Remus.

_" "Fred and George have invented Extendible Ears, see," said Ron. " They're really useful."_

"Extendible Ears?" said James. "Sounds cool. I want some."

Sirius reached out and pulled on the lobes of James's ears. "They don't really suit you."

"Ouch! Gerroff Padfoot."

"Okay. Okay."

_" "Extendible - ?"_

_" "Ears, yeah. Only we've had to stop using them lately because Mum found out and went berserk, Fred and George had to hide them all to stop Mum binning them. But we got a good bit of use out of them before Mum Realized what was going on. We know some of the Order are following known Death Eaters, keeping tabs on them, you know -"_

_" " - some of them are working on recruiting more people to the Order - "said Hermione _

_" " - and some of them are standing guard over something," said Ron. "They're always taking about guard duty"_

"Could it possibly have been Harry?" James said sarcastically.

"Why do I think that's what Harry is going to say?" asked Remus.

_"Couldn't have been me, could it?" said Harry sarcastically._

Remus rolled his eyes.

"Like father like son." James replied with a shrug.

_" "Oh yeah," said Ron, with a look of dawning comprehension._

"Bright isn't he?" commented Sirius.

_" Harry snorted. He walked around the room again, looking anywhere but at Ron and Hermione. "So what have you two been doing, if you're not allowed in meetings?" he demanded. "You said you'd been busy."_

_" "We have," said Hermione quickly. "We've been decontaminating this house,..."_

"Good! Glad someone is doing it." said Sirius.

_" "...it's been empty for ages..."_

"Ah so my dear old folks have been dead for quite some time. Always good news."

_" "...and stuff's been breeding in here...."_

The Marauders collectively cried: "EEEEWWWW!"

_" "...We've managed to clean out the kitchen, most of the bedrooms, and I thing we're doing the drawing room tomo - AARGH!"_

"What!" asked James.

"That's what the book says." said Sirius exasperatedly.

_" With tow loud cracks, Fred and George, Ron's elder twin brothers, had materialized out of thin air in the middle of the room. Pigwid gen twittered more wildly than ever and zoomed off to join Hedwig on top of the wardrobe._

_" "Stop **doing **that!" Hermione said weakly to the twins, who were as vividly red-headed as Ron, though stockier and slightly shorter._

_""Hello, Harry," said George, beaming at him. "We thought we heard your dulcet tones."_

"My son doesn't have dulcet tones." James said then turned to Remus. "What does dulcet mean?"

"Dulcet: adjitive. soothing, especially to the ear; sweet or pleasing."

"Oh. They were being sarcastic."

_" "You don't want to bottle up your anger like that, Harry, let it all out," said Fred, also beaming. "There might be a couple of people fifty miles away who didn't hear your."_

"I like these Weasley twins." said Sirius cheerfully.

_" "You two passed your Apparation tests, then?" asked Harry grumpily._

_" "With distinction,"_

"Did either of you pass with distinction? I didn't." asked Sirius.

"Not me. Moony."

Remus smirked. "As usual I did."

"Smarty pants." muttered the other Marauders.

"I can't help it."

"You sound like Hermione." said Sirius.

"Only your a guy."

"Gee thanks."

"Don't mention it. Even though you _do _ have a monthly problem." said Sirius with a smirk.

"Don't make me curse you, Black."

"Okay okay. Sheesh there's no need to threaten my life."

_" ...said Fred, who was holding what looked like a piece of very long flesh-coloured string._

"What is that!" said James indignantly.

"The Extendible Ears most likely."

_" "It would have taken you about thirty seconds longer to walk down the stairs, " said Ron._

_" "Time is Galleons, little brother," said Fred._

"That is so true." said Sirius.

_" "Anyway, Harry, you're interfering with reception. Extendible Ears," he added in response to Harry's raise eyebrows, holding up the string, which Harry now saw was trailing out onto the landing." We're trying to hear what's going on downstairs."_

"Moony, stop being right all the time." mumbled James.

_" "You want to be careful," said Ron, staring at the ear. "If Mum sees one of them again..."_

_" "It's worth the risk, that's a major meeting they're having,: said Fred. _

_" The door opened and a long mane of red hair appeared_

_" "Oh hello, Harry!" said Ron's younger sister, Ginny, brightly. "I thought I heard your voice."_

"I like this Ginny girl." said James with a sappy smile. "She has pretty red hair like my Lily."

"Maybe she's Harry's girlfriend." said Sirius.

"Then why didn't he greet her with a huge hug and kiss." said Remus.

"Is that how you greet your girlfriend. No! Nevermind! I don't want to know."said Sirius. "And I haven't finished reading this page yet. He may."

_" Turning to Fred and George she said, "It's no go with the Extendible Ears, she's gone and put an Imperturbable Charm on the kitchen door."_

"Guess she's not Harry's girl." said Sirius.

"Pity." said James

_" "How d'you know?" said George, looking crestfallen._

_" "Tonks told me how to find out," said Ginny. "You just chunk stuff at the door and if it cant make contact the door's been Inperturbed. I've been flicking Dungbombs at it from the top of the stairs and they just soar away from it, so there's no way the Extendible Ears will be able to go under the gap."_

"Darn! I wanted to know what was going on down there too that could involve Moony." said Sirius. "We need to get some of those Extendible Ears."

James and Remus nodded in agreement.

_" Fred sighed a deep sigh. "Shame. I really fancied finding out what old Snape's been up to."_

"Ahhh! Snape's in my house. Ugh! It really has gotten filthy if Snape is allowed in." cried Sirius

_" "Snape?" said Harry quickly. "Is he here?"_

_" "Yeah," said George, carefully closing the door and sitting down on one of the beds; Fred and Ginny followed. "Giving a report. Top secret."_

_" "Git." said Fed idly._

"Here! Here!" said the Marauders.

_" "He's on our side now," said Hermione reprovingly._

"Okay Moony would never say that." said Sirius. "Would you?"

Remus shrugged. "It would depend on if I knew it to be true or not."

_" Ron snorted. "Doesn't stop him being a git. The way he looks at us when he sees us..."_

"True. Oh so true." said James putting a hand over his heart. "He will forever be a git."

Sirius nodded but Remus remained in reverent silence.

_" "Bill, doesn't like him either," said Ginny, as though that settled the matter._

"Ooookkkkkaaaayyyy." said Sirius.

_" Harry was not sure his anger had abated yet; but his thirst for information was now overcoming his urge to keep shouting._

"Thank goodness. I couldn't take any more yelling." said Sirius rubbing his throught. "I'm glad this chapter is almost over so James can begin to read."

"Joy." said James sarcastically.

"You know you didn't really have to yell." said Remus.

"It adds dramatic emphasis." said Sirius.

_" He sank onto the bed with the others._

_" "Is Bill here?" he asked. " I thought he was working in Egypt."_

_" "He applied for a desk job so he could come home and work for the Order," said Fred. "He says he misses the tombs,..."_

"Tombs are cool." said James.

_" "...but" he smirked, "there are compensations...."_

_" "What d'you mean?"_

_" "Remember old Flur Delacour?" said George. "She's got a job at Gringotts to ** eemprobe 'er Eeenglish **- "_

_" " - and bill's been giving her privet lessons," sniggered Fred._

"Ooh! There is a romance going on." said Sirius.

"Romance novels are for girls, Padfoot."

"Oh. Yeah. Right."

_" "Charlie's in the Order too," said George, "but he's still in Romania. Dumbledore wants as many foreign wizards brought in as possible, so Charlie's trying to make contacts on his days off."_

"Do you have the feeling that the Weasleys are a very large family." asked Sirius.

"Yeah. Keep reading."

_" "Couldn't Percy do that?" Harry asked. The last he had heard, the third Weasley brother was working in the Department of International Magical cooperation at the Ministry of Magic._

_" At these words all the Weasleys and Hermione exchanged darkly significant looks._

_" "Whatever you do, don't mention Percy in front of Mum and Dad," Ron told Harry in a tense voice._

_" "Why not?"_

_" "Because every time Percy's name's mentioned, Dad breaks whatever he's holding and Mum starts crying," Fred said._

_" "It's been awful,: said Ginny sadly._

_" "I think we're well shut of his," said George with an uncharacteristically ugly look on his face._

_" "What's happened?" Harry said._

_" "Percy and Dad had a row," said Fred. "I've never seen Dad roe with anyone like that. It's normally mum who shouts...."_

_" "It was the first week back after term ended," said Ron._

"Ohhh. This is starting to sound like a good story." said James.

_" "We were about to come and join the Order. Percy came home and told us he'd been promoted."_

_" "You're kidding!" said Harry._

_" Though he knew perfectly well that Percy was highly ambitious, Harry's impression was that Percy had not made a great success of his first job at the Ministry of Magic. Percy had committed the fairly large oversight of failing to notice that his boss was being controlled by Lord Voldemort ( not that the Ministry had believed that- they all thought that Mr. Crouch had gone mad)._

"Wow the Ministry had gotten really stupid. Thinking I'm a madman under the Dark Lord's control and the one who really is they let work in their offices."

_" "Yeah, we were all suprised, " said George, "because Percy got into a load of trouble about Crouch, there was an inquiry and everyithing. They said Percy ought to have realized Crouch was off his rocker and informed a superior. But you know Percy, Crouch left him in charge, he wasn't going to complain..."_

_" "So how come they promoted him?"_

_" "That's exactly what we wondered," said Ron, who seemed very keen to keep normal conversation going now that Harry had stopped yelling, "He came home really pleased with himself - even more pleased than usual if you can imagine that - ..."_

"Merlin! He sounds like a pompous..."

"Padfoot!" Remus warned.

_" "... and told Dad he'd been offered a position in Fudge's own office. A really good one for someone only a year out of Hogwarts -..."_

"Only a year out of Hogwarts! Something's wrong with that." said Remus. "No one can do that!"

_" "... Junior Assistant to the Minister. He expected Dad to be all impressed, I think."_

_" "Only Dad wasn't," said Fred grimly._

_" "Why not?" said Harry_

_" "Well apparently Fudge has been storming round the Ministry checking that nobody'd having any contact with Dumbledore," said George. _

_" "Dumbledore's name's mud with the Ministry these days, see," said Fred. "They all think he's just making trouble saying You-Know-Who's back."_

_" "Dad says Fudge has made it clear that anyone who's in league with Dumbledore can clear out their desks," said George._

"Fudge's working for Volde!" cried James.

"Shut up." said Remus irritably. "I'm starving. Let's finish this."

"Never argue with Moony's stomach." said Sirius.

_" "Trouble is, Fudge suspects Dad, he knows he's friendly with Dumbledore, and he's always thought Dad's bit of a weirdo because of his Muggle obsession - " _

_" "But what's this got to do with Percy?" asked Harry confused._

_" "I'm coming to that. Dad reckons Fudge only wants Percy in his office because he wants to use him to spy on the family - and Dumbledore."_

_" Harry let out a low whistle._

_" "Bet Percy loved that."_

_" Ron laughed in a hollow sort of way._

_" "He went completely berserk. He said - well, he said loads of terrible stuff. He said he's been having to struggle against Dad's lousy reputation ever since he joined the Ministry and that Dad's got no ambition and that's why we've always been - you know - not had a lot of money, I mean, - "_

_" "**What**?" said Harry in disbelief, as Ginny made a noise like and angry cat._

_" "I know," said Ron in a low voice. "And it got worse. He said Dad was an idiot to run around with Dumbledore, that Dumbledore was heading for big trouble and Dad was going to go down with him, and that he - Percy - knew where his loyalty lay and it was with the Ministry he was going to make sure everyone knew he didn't belong to our family anymore. And he packed his bags the same night and left. He's living here in London now."_

"Wow." Sirius said softly. "I would never say that to my father if he loved me. That was so wrong."

James and Remus nodded in agreement.

_" "Harry swore..."_

"Harry James Potter!" James shouted. "You never swear in front of a lady!"

_" ...under his breath..."_

"That's better."

_" ...He had always liked Percy least of Ron's brothers, but he had never imagined he would say such things to Mr. Weasley._

_" "Mum's been in a right state," said Ron dully. "You know - crying and stuff. She came up to London to try and talk to Percy but he slammed the door in her face...."_

"That's also something you don't do to a lady."

_" "...I dunno what he does if he meets Dad at work - ignores him I s'upose."_

_" "But Percy **must **know Vodemort's back," said Harry slowly. "He's not stupid , he must know your mum and dad wouldn't risk everything without proof - "_

_" "Yeah, well, your name got dragged into the row," said Ron, shooting Harry a furtive look. "Percy said the only evidence was your word and ... I dunno... he didn't think it was good enough."_

_" "Percy takes the **Daily Prophet **seriously," said Hermione tartly, and the others nodded._

_" "What are you talking about?" Harry asked, looking around at them all. They were all regarding him warily._

"Uh-oh."

_" "Haven't - haven't you been getting the **Daily Prophet**?" Hermione asked nervously._

_" "Yeah, I have! " said Harry._

_" "Have you - er - been reading it thoroughly?" Hermione asked still more anxiously._

_" "Not cover to cover," said Harry defensively. "If they were going to report anything about Voldemort it would be headline news, wouldn't it?"_

_" The others flinched at the sound of the name. Hermione hurried on, "Well, you'd need to read it cover to cover to pick it up, but they - um - they mention you a couple of times a week."_

"So my son's in the newspaper every week." James said.

"I don't think it's going to be good reports." said Remus.

_" "But I'd have seen - "_

_" "Not if you've only been reading the front page, you wouldn't," said Hermione, shaking her head. "I'm not talking about big articles. they just slip you in, like you're a standing joke."_

"My kid a joke! This is crap...."

"James! Let's find out what happens before you do something drastic." said Sirius.

_" "What d'you -?"_

_" "It's quite nasty actually, "said Hermione in a voice of forced calm. "They're building on Rita's stuff."_

_" "But she's not writing for them anymore, is she?"_

_" "Oh no, she's kept her promise - not that she's got any choice," Hermione added with satisfaction. "But she laid the foundation for what they're trying to do now."_

_" "Which is **what**?" said Harry impatiently._

_" "Okay, you know she wrote that you were collapsing all over the place and saying your scar was hurting and all that?"_

_" "Yeah," said Harry, who was not likely to forget Rita Skeeter's stories about him in a hurry._

_" "Well, they're writing about you as though you're this deluded, attention-seeking person who thinks he's a great tragic hero or something..."_

"Tragic hero! His parents are dead! Give the kid a break!"

_" ...said Hermione, very fast, as though it would be less unpleasant for Harry to hear these facts quickly. "They keep slipping in snide comments about you. If some par-fetched story appears they say something like 'a tale worthy of harry Potter' as if anyone has a funny accident or anything it's 'let's hope he hasn't got a scar on his forehead or we'll be asked to worship him next -"_

_" "I don't want anyone to worship - " Harry began hotly._

_" "I know you don't," said Hermione quickly, looking frightened. "I **know**, Harry. But you see what they're doing? They want to turn you into someone nobody will believe. Fudge is behind it, I'll bet anything. They want wizards on the street to think you're just some stupid boy who's a bit of a joke, who tells ridiculous tall stories because he loves being famous and wants to keep it going."_

_" "I didn't ask - I didn't want - **Voldemort killed my parents**!" Harry spluttered. "I got famous because he murdered my family but couldn't kill me! Who wants to be famous for that? Don't they think I'd rather it'd never - "_

_" "We **know**, Harry,"said Ginny earnestly._

_" "And of course, they didn't report a word about the dementors attacking you," said Hermione. "Someone's told them to keep that quiet. That should've been a really big story, out-of-control dementors. They haven't even reported that you broke the International Statue of Secrecy - we thought for sure they would, it would tie in so well with this image of you as some stupid show-off - we think they're biding their time until you're expelled, then they're really going to go to town - I mean, **if** you're expelled, obviously," she went on hastily, "you really shouldn't be, not if they abide by their own laws, there's no case against you."_

_" they were back on the hearing and Harry did not want to think about it. He cast around for another change of subject, but was saved the necessity of finding one by the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs._

_" "Uh-oh."_

_" Fred gave the Extendable Ear a hearty tug; there was another loud crack and he and George vanished. Seconds later, Mrs. Weasley appeared in the bedroom doorway._

_" "The meeting's over, you can come down ad have dinner now, everyone's dying to see you, Harry. And who's left all those Dungbombs outside the kitchen door."_

_" "Crookshanks," said Ginny unblushingly. "He loves playing with them."_

_" "Oh," said Mrs. Weasley, "I thought it might have been Kreacher, he keeps doing odd things like that. Now don't forget to keep your voices down in the hall. Ginny, your hands are filthy, what have you been doing? Go and wash them before dinner, please...."_

_" Ginny grimaced at the others and followed her mother out of the room, leaving Harry alone with Ron and Hermione again. Both of them were watching him apprehensively, as though they feared that he would start shouting again now that everyone else had gone. The sight of them looking so nervous made him feel slightly ashamed._

"As he should." Remus said.

"Well it's not _all_ his fault." said James.

_" "Look..." he muttered, but Ron shook his head, and Hermione said quietly, "We knew you'd be angry, Harry, we really don't blame you, but you've got to understand, we **did** try and persuade Dumbledore - "_

_" "Yeah, I know," said Harry grudgingly._

_" He cast around for a topic to change the subject from Dumbledore - the very thought of _

_him made Harry's insides burn with anger again._

"Harry's insides on fire!" James shouted. "Hurry get some water we have to put it out!"

"Get a grip James it's just a figure of speech." said Remus coolly.

"I knew that. I was just tired of sitting here silently."

_" "Who's Kreacher?" he asked._

"An evil, foul, loathsome little cockroach." said Sirius proudly.

_" "The house-elf who lives here," said Ron. "Nutter. Never met one like him."_

_" Hermione frowned at Ron._

_" "He's not a **nutter**, Ron -"_

_" "His life's ambition is to have his head cut off and stuck up on a plaque just like his mother," said Ron irritably. "Is that normal, Hermione.?"_

_" "Well - well, if he is a bit strange, it's not his fault - "_

_" Ron rolled his eyes at Harry._

_" "Hermione still hasn't given up on **spew** - "_

"What's spew?" asked James. "Sounds gross! Cool!"

_" "It's not 'spew'!" said Hermione heatedly. "It's the Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare,... "_

"Society hummna whatsis!" asked James. "Okay nevermind."

_" "...and it's not just me, Dumbledore says we should be kind to Kreacher too - "_

_" "Yeah, yeah," said Ron. "C'mon, I'm starving."_

_" He led the way out of the door and onto the landing, but before they could descend the stairs - "Hold it!" Ron breathed, flinging out an arm to stop Harry and Hermione walking any farther. "They're still in the hall, we might be able to hear something -"_

_" The three of them looked cautiously over the banisters. The gloomy hallway below was packed with witches and wizards, including all of Harry's guard. They were whispering excitedly together. In the very center of the group Harry saw the dark, greasy-haired head and prominent nose of his least favorite teacher at Hogwarts, Professor Snape. Harry leaned farther over the banisters. He was very interested in what Snape was doing for the Order of the Phoenix...._

_" A thin piece of flesh-coloured string discended in front of Harry's eyes. Looking up he saw Fred and George on the landing above, cautiously lowering the Extendable Ear toward the dark knot of people below. A moment later, however , they began to move toward the front door and out of sight._

_" "Dammit," Harry herd Fred whisper, as he hoisted the Extendable Ear back up again._

_" They heard the front door open and then close. _

_" "Snape never eats here," Ron told Harry quietly. "Thank God. C'mon"_

"I didn't want him in my house noways." said Sirius.

"Noways?" asked Remus.

"Dunno where I picked it up." Sirius said with a shrug.

_" "And don't forget to keep your voice down in the hall, Harry," Hermione whispered._

_" As they passed the row of house-elf heads on the wall they saw Lupin, Mrs. Weasley and Tonks at the front door, magically sealing it's many locks and bolts behind those who had just left._

"_ "We're eating down in the kitchen," Mrs. Weasley whispered, meeting them at the bottom of the stairs. "Harry, dear, if you'll just tiptoe across the hall, it's through this door here - "_

_" CRASH!_

"What did you break Padfoot?" asked James seriously.

"Nothing!....Yet."

_" "**Tonks**_**." **_ cried Mrs. Weasley exasperatedly, turning to look behind her._

_" "I'm sorry!" wailed Tonks, who was laying flat on the floor. "It's that stupid umbrella stand, that's the second time I've tripped over -"_

_" But the rest of her words were drowned by a horrible, earsplitting bloodcurdling screech._

_" The moth-eaten velvet curtains Harry had passed earlier had flown apart, but there was no door behind them. For a split second, Harry thought he was looking through a window, a window behind which an old woman in a black cap was screaming and screaming as though she was being tortured - then he realized it was simply a life-size portrait, but the most realistic, and the most unpleasant, he had ever seen in his life. _

_" The old woman was drooling, her eyes were rolling, the yellowing skin of her face stretched taut as she screamed, and all along the hall behind them, the other portraits awoke and began to yell too, so that Harry actually screwed up his eyes at the noise and clapped his hands over his ears._

_" Lupin and Mrs. Weasley darted forward an tried to tug the curtains shut over the old woman, but they would not close and she screeched louder than ever, brandishing clawed hands as though trying to tear at their faces._

"Sounds like my mother." Sirius said thoughtfully.

_" "**Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt and vileness! Half-breeds, mutants, freaks, begone from this place! How dare you befoul the house of my fathers - "**_

_" Tonks apologized over and over again, at the same time dragging the huge, heavy troll's leg back off the floor. Mrs. Weasley abandoned he attempt to close the curtains and hurried up and down the hall, Stunning all the other portraits with her wand. Then a man with long black hair came charging out of a door facing Harry._

_" "Shut up, you horrible old hag, shut UP!" he roared, seizing the curtain Mrs. Weasley had abandoned._

_" The old woman's face blanched._

_" "**Yoooou!" ** she howled, her eyes popping at the sight of the man. "**Blood traitor, abomination, shame of my flesh!"**_

_**" "**I said - shut - UP!" roared the man, and with a stupendous effort he and Lupin managed to force the curtains closed again._

_" The old woman's screeches died down and an echoing silence fell._

_" Panting slightly and sweeping his long dark hair out of his eyes, Harry's godfather, ..."_

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH! It was my mother! And that's me!" Sirius screamed. "I have long hair." He paused and pondered for a moment. "Cool!"

_" ...Sirius turned to have him._

_" "Hello, Harry," he said grimly, "I see you've met my mother."_

"End of chapter four. And what a glorious appearance I make!" Sirius said standing. "Now let's do lunch!"

Okay. Read. Review! Enjoy. Again sorry it took so long.


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